War of the Biju: Fourth Shinobi World War
by Son Kenshin
Summary: Madara has declared War on the nations of the World as Naruto becomes Hokage in the wake of Pain's invasion of Konoha. Naruto has to master the Kyubi to prepare to face him and Akatsuki, which includes his former friend Sasuke Uchiha. Naru/Hina
1. The Sixth Hokage Is

**War of the Biju: Tale of the Fourth Shinobi World War**

Note, this is already up on Narutofan, up to the most complete chapter. I'm just transferring it here.

_Prologue: Akatsuki has just dealt a devestating blow to Konoha, completely destroying its economy and military infrastructure. The leader of Akatsuki, Pain, was defeated by Naruto, the Jinchuuriki of Kyubi no Yoko, who confronted the man behind Pain, Nagato, and convinced him to change his ways. Nagato trusted the future to Naruto, and revived everyone he had killed in Konoha before he died from lack of chakra._

Naruto is now returning to his home village after confronting Nagato...

Chapter 1: The Sixth Hokage is...  
**Konoha, Hokage Monument**  
Naruto breathed in and out as he walked through the forests towards Konoha. He was mentally and physically exhausted after the two battles he waged this day. If it wasn't for his father, the Yondaime Hokage Namikaze Minato, he would have unleashed the Kyubi fully in an attempt to defeat Pain. He could still remember Hinata laying on the ground in a pool of blood...and he closed his eyes, hoping that she was okay.

Putting his hand against the bark of a tree, he began breathing in and out, settling himself before walking forward again. His confrontation with Nagato himself was one of the toughest challenges he had ever went through. He had wanted to kill Nagato so badly, he was literally shaking when facing him. But...he couldn't do it. It wouldn't have been what Jiraiya would have wanted. Naruto had done the impossible...and managed to change Nagato's mind. Now...Nagato had entrusted the future to him...he had to find a way to bring peace to the world, even for a short time.

_...Ero-sennin's book can change the world...but how? I need...to find the answer..._ Naruto thought, setting his hand on another tree. _...the first thing I have to do...is become Hokage._ Thinking of Sasuke, he closed his eyes. _...this is more important than you, Sasuke. Though someday, I will bring you back._

Nearly tripping, he found himself being caught and he blinked to see Kakashi and Hinata there, steadying him. "Kakashi-sensei? Hinata-chan? When..."

"Katsuya-sama informed us that you had beaten Pain and had finished confronting the person behind Pain. She also told us you were exhausted so I let Hinata-sama here lead me to you," Kakashi said with his smiley eye. _Naruto...you did good..._

Hinata's breath was caught in her throat as she looked at Naruto, who gave her an exhausted smile. "I'm glad you're alright, Hinata-chan."

Hinata blushed, and she forced herself to stay conscious. "T-Thank you...Naruto-kun...thank god...thank god you're okay..."

Naruto smiled, and Kakashi carried him the rest of the way as Hinata walked next to them. Getting through the rest of the forest, Naruto's eyes widened to see...the entirety of Konoha gathered...waiting for him.

"Welcome back Naruto!"

"We believed in you!"

"You're a hero, Naruto!"

"Welcome home!"

"Thank you!"

Naruto blinked as the villagers showered praise and thanks onto their new hero. "They've all...been waiting for you, Naruto."

Kakashi thought about what Naruto said when they first met... '_My dream...is to become greater than the Hokages! I'll make everyone acknowledge my existence!_' He let his student down, smiling. _Naruto...you did magnificently..._

"Welcome home!" the crowd said again, running over to Naruto, Kakashi, and Hinata, and they began patting him on the back and congratulating him.

"I told them everything that happened," Katsuya said, poking out of Naruto's collar.

Quickly, Naruto was swamped by the villagers who were cheering him on.

"What's he like?"

"Is he hurt?"

"Ow! Don't shove," Naruto said, and everyone continued to swamp him.

On top of Gamakichi's head stood Fukasaku and Shima, who were watching Naruto with pride. Sakura slowly made her way to Naruto as Hinata wiped her eye as a single tear of joy trickled down.

"Sakura-chan..." Naruto said as his best friend came over.

"Always so reckless, dummy!" Sakura yelled, slamming her fist into the Sage's stomach making him wheeze...then she hugged him, surprising the rest of the crowd. "Naruto...thank you..."

Everyone smiled at that, and Sakura looked at Hinata, letting Naruto go and she walked over to the other young woman, and nudged her slightly in the Sage's direction. The Hyuga Heiress stumbled, and out of reflex, Naruto caught her and the two blinked...and the crowd began clapping and cheering.

_Hinata-chan...you risked your life to save him...and contributed to his victory..._ Sakura thought, smiling as she stood next to her sensei.

Naruto and Hinata blinked and Iruka smiled, reflecting on his former student's past; the sad, lonely boy who just wanted to be acknowledged as a great ninja...had now achieved that goal. Naruto began to be tossed in the air and caught by the crowd and he began laughing and cheering. Iruka adjusted his headband, smiling.

On the outskirts, Zetsu looked at the scene in shock. "I never thought Pain would be defeated. **We better go tell Madara...he won't be happy.**" With that, he sunk into the tree branch he was spying on the village on.

In the crowd of villagers, an ANBU landed behind Nara Shikaku, the Head Jonin of Konoha. He was standing next to his old teammates, watching as the rest of the villagers celebrated Naruto's return.

"What is it?"

"Emergency meeting, you're to report to the Council Room immediately."

"...already, huh?" Shikaku asked with a sigh, closing his eyes.

**Akatsuki Hideout, unknown location**  
Standing in front of the still summoned Gedo Mazo statue, Zetsu was telling Madara of Pain's defeat. The true Akatsuki Leader squeezed his hand into a tight fist. He closed his permanently activated Sharingan eye as Zetsu finished.

"So that's what happened. **What are you going to do now?** Oh...and Konan's not coming back."

"...we need to find another person to sync with the Gedo Mazo..." Madara said, composing himself. "Kisame, you track down the Hachibi. I have another matter to attend to."

**Konoha**  
After the initial celebrations died down, the citizens of Konoha started rebuilding. Akatsuki could crush their buildings, but it could not put out their Will of Fire. Tents were set up on the former battleground to house the people of the village while parties would go out to search for suitable building materials in the debris. In one of the medical tents, Tsunade was resting, her youthful appearance had faded. Sakura and Shizune were healing her, doing chakra transfusions while Naruto and Kakashi stood by.

"...we were lucky she didn't die," Sakura said, her hand's glowing green as she began to pump her own chakra into Tsunade's body. "...and we're lucky she'll recover."

"...how long'll take for her to wake up, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked as his teammate lifted her hands off of the Hokage's chest.

"I'm not sure...could be anywhere from a few days to a few weeks...and Konoha is at a crucial juncture. We need her to wake up..." Sakura said, doing some more seals and pressing her hands down over Tsunade's chest, healing, soothing green chakra pumping back into her sensei's system.

Kakashi nodded. "An temporary Hokage'll have to be appointed in her place then..."

"Shikaku-san has been summoned by the Daimyo for that very reason, Kakashi," Shizune said, replacing the dishcloth that was on Tsunade's forehead with a fresh one. "I think you're going to be appointed."

Kakashi blinked. "Me? But...I'd be terrible at the job," he then patted Naruto's back. "Naruto's more than ready, I believe."

Naruto blinked, his jaw lowered. "Are you...are you serious Kakashi-sensei?"

"Yes," Kakashi said, looking at his former student. "Lets face it, you're stronger than me, and you were able to beat Pain, and negotiate with the man behind Pain which lead to everyone who Pain killed being revived."

Naruto nodded, breathing out. "...but I...well...I'm a great ninja yeah...but I don't know if I'm ready yet."

"Not many leaders are, Naruto," Kakashi said with a smile. "But they have leadership thrust upon them."

The Sage blinked at his sensei's vote of confidence, and he smiled, rubbing the back of his head. "Thanks, sensei."  
-

**Fire Country Capital**  
In the capital building of the Fire Country, the leaders of Konoha as well as the leaders of Fire Country had gathered. At the head was the Daimyo, the Lord of the Fire Country and one of the most powerful leaders on the continent. For Konoha's leaders, there were the three elders, Mitokada Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Shimura Danzo, as well as the ANBU General, and Head Jonin Nara Shikaku.

"We will continue to work with the other countries to deal with the Akatsuki Threat," Homura began, folding his hands in front of him.

"...after what's happened to the village, the Fire Country will put every resource into getting it rebuilt," the minister of the treasury stated. "First we'll have to come up with a budget...and then consider the strain on the other nations."

"There is something else to consider first," Danzo stated, looking at the people gathered. He was keeping his eye in reserve. "Who will be the next Hokage?"

_It is coming to that...Danzo you are going to make your move aren't you?_ Shikaku thought.

"Can we not wait till Tsunade-hime has recovered? According to the reports of her students, she should be better in a few weeks," the Daiymo, Lord Tokusei Ieyasu suggested. "She is still Hokage, after all."

"My lord, Tsunade-hime is partially responsible for the village's construction," Koharu said and Shikaku sighed.

"She is not, Koharu-sama. Pain was going to destroy the village anyway, he had to preserve his secret which our men had found out," Shikaku said, interrupting Koharu's tirade. "And if there is anyone who should fill in for Tsunade, I have two recommendations."

"And they are, Shikaku?" Ieyasu asked.

"Hatake Kakashi, the copy ninja and former apprentice to the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato, or Uzumaki Naruto, apprentice to the late Jiraiya-sama, and the boy who saved the village from Pain," Shikaku said while folding his hands.

Ieyasu was intrigued. "Both seem fine choices, however, isn't Naruto-san still a teenager?"

"Yes, but he has much experience fighting Akatsuki, having encountered them several times," Shikaku replied. "And I think it should be obvious who his father is now, as well. He is Minato-sama's very son."

That was the clencher for the Daimyo, and Danzo decided it was best not to use his trump now. _The boy's inexperience will lead Konoha into ruin...I will be there to pick up the pieces,_ Danzo thought, and he opened his eyes. "I agree with Shikaku-san's assestment. Naruto is a fine choice."

"Then it's decided, the Rokudaime Hokage will be Uzumaki Naruto," Ieyasu said, folding his fan up.

_To Be Continued..._

**Author's Notes:**  
I've had this fic stewing in my mind for a while. I know, Naruto may become Hokage too fast, but at this point...I say he has earned that seat. And like a normal human being, he'll make mistakes, but he'll grow from them.

Next chapter: _The Five Kage Summit_

Naruto: I've achieved my dream...I'm Hokage...but am I really ready for this?


	2. Naruto's Hokage? Five Kage Summit Begins

Chapter 2: Naruto's Hokage? The Five Kage Summit Commences!  
**Konoha**  
While the heads of Konoha were at the Fire Capital deciding the next Hokage, a nearly two days had past. All around the village reconstruction was happening. Tenzo, also known as Yamato, was using his Mokuton to construct new houses two at a time. Other ninja, like Genma, Aoba, and Raido, were sifting through debris for usable lumber for standard reconstruction.

Word had already been sent to the surrounding allied countries to send their best carpenters, their best architects, and building supplies to the village. Wave Country and Wind Country were the first to respond, their people entering Konoha through what remained of the East and South entrances. Among the carpenters from Wave Country were Inari and Tazuna, Naruto's, Sakura's, and Kakashi's old friends.

Team Kakashi itself was helping with the reconstruction as best they could, and were helped a lot by Hinata. Naruto would use his clones to put up the 'skeleton' of a structure, Hinata would use her Byakugan to tell the clones and the Sage where to keep things still, and Sakura would use her strength to press nails in to secure the structure. Kakashi would then begin to fill the 'skeleton' out. With Naruto's help, the walls were put up on said building and secured by Sakura. Finally, after a few hours, the building was done on the outside, all that had to be done was the plumbing and wiring.

The group took their seats near some lumber for a little break. Naruto wiped his forehead, looking at the new building they had constructed with a little pride. Like his father, the Yondaime Hokage had said, Konoha _could_ be rebuilt. His thoughts wandered on the warning Minato had given him, the man with the mask...Uchiha Madara, known as Tobi to him.

He remembered how he couldn't land one blow on Tobi when they encountered him before Sasuke's latest disappearance after his battle with Itachi. He just...phased right through his body. No damage whatsoever. His father thought he'd be able to get the power to bypass it using the Kyubi...he just didn't know how.

_...to defeat that man you must have a special power, Naruto..._ Minato had told him and Naruto closed his eyes.

He took a seat and he stretched. "Naruto-kun...?"

He looked up to see Hinata walking over to him. "Hey Hinata-chan...thanks for the help here. Those eyes of yours are pretty sweet," he said with a grin.

Hinata blushed, and she fought down a stammer. "T-Thank you Naruto-kun...how are you doing?"

Naruto breathed out. "...better than I was before, thanks, Hinata-chan...and thank you for trying to save my life."

"Y-You're welcome...Naruto-kun..." Hinata said, slowly taking a seat next to him. "...you're the village hero now...Naruto-kun. You've got the recognition that you've always wanted."

Naruto smiled. "Yeah, I have..." he leaned forward. "But...things aren't done yet. Konoha has to be rebuilt...and Akatsuki has to be defeated."

"But with Pain dead, Naruto-kun...shouldn't Akatsuki mostly be defeated?" Hinata asked him and Naruto closed his eyes.

"No...not even close. I don't know how many Bijuu they've taken...but it has to me most of them. Not only that...Pain wasn't the real leader...he was the front guy," Naruto breathed out. "I wanted to tell oba-chan that...but she's still unconscious after sacrificing most of her chakra to save the villagers."

Hinata nodded slowly, and Naruto looked at her. "...did you mean what you said?"

Hinata blinked. "What?"

"...you said...that you loved me...before you attacked Pain. Did you mean it?"

Hinata blushed, and she fidgeted a bit before she breathed out. "I meant every word, Naruto-kun. I've loved you ever since I first saw you training...way back when we were kids."

She waited for his response, and he smiled. "...thanks for telling me, Hinata-chan...I don't know how I feel about you just yet...but..." he leaned back. "I'll figure it out...I promise to give you an answer soon, Hinata-chan."

"Take as...long as you need Naruto-kun," Hinata said, smiling back at him.

"Oi, Naruto!" a new voice said and Naruto looked up to see an old man with a gray bird and hair and a boy with black hair coming over. Both were wearing carpenter's uniforms.

"Old Man Tazuna...?" Naruto asked, blinking.

"Heh, yep..." Tazuna replied and the boy grinned.

"Wait...Inari? Wow, you've gotten tall for a kid your age!" Naruto said with a grin and Inari smirked.

"I bet I'm taller than you were when you were 12 Naruto!"

"Heh...I was a shorty back then, I don't deny that," Naruto said with a grin, rubbing the back of his head.

"Wow, whose this girl with you Naruto? She's really pretty, is she your girlfriend?" Inari asked, making both Naruto and Hinata blush. "I always thought you'd get together with that Sakura girl, but I guess she got together with Sasuke huh?"

At the mention of Sasuke, Naruto looked down. "...Sasuke's not in Konoha anymore."

"What?" Inari and Tazuna asked.

"...its a long story guys..." Naruto replied, breathing out. "...and I doubt he'll want to come back."

"Oh...we were kind of hoping to see him with you, Sakura, and Kakashi, Naruto," Tazuna said, rubbing the back of his head. "Guess things change over the years, huh?"

Naruto nodded. "...yeah...things change a lot..."

"...well...can we catch up later Naruto?" Inari asked, and he smirked. "Bet you have a bunch of stories!"

"Heh...yeah, I think I do," Naruto said with a grin as he and Hinata noticed something...it was Kiba riding Akamaru over.

"Guys! Guys!" Kiba yelled, dashing over. "The elders are back, Shikaku is back!"

Naruto blinked. "They are...why do you..."

"Naruto, the Daimyo's made you the new Hokage!" Kiba said, skidding to a halt in fronto f them and Naruto and Hinata blinked, and then their jaws dropped.

"WHAT?" Naruto asked, blinking as Kakashi and Sakura dashed over, hearing that announcement.

"Daimyo-sama...he's made you the new Hokage in Tsunade-sama's absence!" Kiba told him, breathing in and out. "I didn't believe it either, but Shikaku gave me something to give you! Here!"

Kiba handed Naruto a scroll, which had the Daimyo's official seal. His eyes widened, and he opened it.

_I, Uesegi Tokusei, name Uzumaki Naruto as the Rokudaime Hokage of Konoha. Depending on his performance, he may keep the position if Tsunade-hime awakens._

Below it was the Daimyo's signature, and Naruto breathed out, and he fell on his rear. He read the message multiple times, letting it sink in. He wiped his forehead, and he looked at Hinata, then Kakashi, then Sakura, and then Inari and Tazuna.

"...guys...I really am...Hokage..." Naruto whispered, breathing out. "...I'm Hokage..."

"That's...that's...kami..." Sakura said, breathing out and Naruto stood up, before falling back.

A happy smile was now on his face. "I'm Hokage...I'm Hokage!" he repeated, almost cheering. "Gaara, I've finally caught up!"

**Outskirts of Konoha**  
The Kumo Envoy, which consisted of the students of Killer Bee, the Eight Tailed Jinchuuriki were walking towards Konoha after a long journey where, thanks to Karui's no-sense of direction, had gotten them lost many times. But now, thanks to Samui, team leader, they had finally gotten on track.

Omoi gave a sigh, taking his pop out of his mouth. "...what should I do?"

"Huh?" Karui asked, looking over to him.

"Oh...I was just wondering what I should do..." Omoi said, putting his finger to his cheek. "If a there are a ton of cute girls in Konoha and they all fall for me."

"Oh yeah...that'd be a problem..." Karui said sarcastically. "Why don't you just date them then? Go out with whoever asks first!"

"...yeah, but what should I do if when I have to leave Konoha, she says she loves me so much that she can't bear to be apart? I'm scared she might want us to commit suicide together."

"How far are you playing out these scenarios?" Karui asked in exasperation. "We haven't even gotten to Konoha yet! You're freaking me out!"

"Some guy who looks really hot might come onto you too," Omoi pointed out.

"Just use the word hottie! Anyway...now that you mention it..." Karui said, rubbing her face and blushing slightly. "Some rich, tall, popular hottie might come onto me, you never know!"

"Nah! You're just over thinking things, it'll never happen!" Omoi told her, scoffing at the thought.

Karui got angry, picked up a rock. "Who are you to talk!"

Omoi bent his entire body to dodge and the rock went into the trees. "What if that rock had hit a boulder and the boulder crumbled...and then pieces of the boulder caused another boulder to crumble...and caused a huge avalanche to bury Konoha?"

"You're the one whose overthinking things!" Karui roared at him.

Shortly...they're on the wall of Konoha...looking down at the massive crater. The wind whistled around them and the color on Karui's face drained.

"No way! I didn't do it on purpose! Did that little pebble really cause all this damage!" Karui cried out, tears flowing from her 'nervous face'.

"K-Karui...what have you done," Omoi asked.

"Don't be ridiculous, lets go find someone to talk to," Samui ordered them.

**Konoha**  
Naruto was getting fitted for his robes, breathing in and out nervously. He couldn't believe he was Hokage. Just two days ago, he had saved the village from Pain and was a genin, and now he was Hokage until Tsunade awakens. Kakashi watched his student be fitted for the robes, swelling with pride. His student, the Number One Unpredictable Ninja Uzumaki Naruto had been named Hokage. He wonder if this is what Jiraiya had felt when Minato became Hokage.

"Hokage-sama," a voice said and Naruto turned to see Shizune there. "...we have visitors."

"Visitors?" Naruto asked, blinking as a tall, busty blonde woman wearing a black t-shirt that exposed her mid drift as well as her cleavage, as well as a short skirt walked in. On her forehead was a Kumo Headband. "...can I help you?"

"Yes, you can. My name is Samui, A-sama, the Yondaime Hokage has called for a Summit of the Kages in Iron Country to deal with the Akatsuki problem," the woman said, handing him a letter. "Recently, the Akatsuki member, Uchiha Sasuke, captured A-sama's brother, the Jinchuuriki of the Eight Tailed Ox, Killer Bee."

Naruto seemed to freeze, as well as Kakashi. "...excuse me...can you repeat that?"

"Uchiha Sasuke has joined Akatsuki," Samui said, looking at the young Hokage.

"...t-that has to be impossible...why would Sasuke join Akatsuki?" Naruto whispered, breathing out. Forcing himself to stand, he grabbed the letter to be sure. "Thank you...I'll get ready to go right away."

Samui nodded, and she bowed respectfully to the new Hokage, and she left the room. Naruto's hand shook as he held the letter...and he closed his eyes. He now knew...that Sasuke would never be able to return to Konoha now. He was not only a Missing Ninja...but a member of Akatsuki...and he had taken a Jinchuuriki.

"Naruto..." Kakashi whispered, walking over to his student.

"...I'm fine...sensei," Naruto said, breathing out. "I have to get ready for the Summit...I'd like you to be one of my bodyguards."

"Hai," Kakashi said, nodding.

Naruto breathed in, putting his Hokage hat on. _I wonder if this is what Ero-Sennin felt when Orochimaru defected..._  
-

**Fire Country**  
Sasuke was leading his team, Taka, towards Konoha. The last Uchiha was determined in his new goal-the destruction of Konoha as well as the murdering of the Elders in revenge for what the Uchiha Clan and Itachi were put through. Sasuke was focused on getting his latest revenge...he still hadn't told his team his plan of killing the entirety of Konoha-down to the very last child-the very last _infant_. He didn't care that he was going against Itachi's wishes. He didn't care that he had lied to his team. Nothing was going to stop him from completing this goal.

He then noticed something appearing in a spiral in front of him. An orange mask with a spiral pattern appeared, and then a body covered in the Akatsuki Cloak. Narrowing his eyes, his hand sparked with the Chidori and he burst forward towards Madara who was now standing in front of them. Karin, Suigetsu, and Jugo skidded to a halt as Sasuke pushed forward with his Chidori...and went through Madara. By going 'through' meant literally, in essence, Sasuke didn't even touch him.

_What?_ Sasuke thought as he skidded forward, and Madara turned to him.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Sasuke, you disappoint me," Madara said, folding his hands and Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"What do you want? I pulled my part of our bargain, giving you the Hachibi," Sasuke asked and Madara's Sharingan glared at him.

"You failed Sasuke, our agreement still stands," Madara told him coldly, and Sasuke, Jugo, Karin, and Suigetsu's eyes widened.

"What? That's impossible! We brought him back to you," Suigetsu said.

"All we got is one tentacle, it seems that 'Killer Bee' pulled the wool over your eyes," Madara said and Sasuke remembered the Hachibi's tail falling on Karin...and he was forced to cut it...

_...so that's how he did it...ingenious..._ Sasuke thought and he straightened up.

"If you're heading to Konoha, you're wasting your time," Madara said and he looked at the group. "My partner, Pain, has already destroyed it."

"What?" Sasuke demanded and glanced at Karin.

Karin turned on her 'Eye of the Kagura' jutsu, reaching out to Konoha...and she could feel an incredibly powerful residual chakra. Much, much more powerful than Sasuke. "...all I can confirm...is a residual chakra in Konoha...it dwarfs mostly all others."

"That's Pain," Madara said, looking at Sasuke. "You still work for me, Sasuke, and I need you to head to the Kage Summit in Iron Country."

"No deal," Sasuke snarled, his eyes changing to the Sharingan. "Our alliance is over, Madara."

Madara frowned as Zetsu rose up from a tree branch. "A new Hokage has been chosen," the white half said.

"Who is it? Danzo? Kakashi?" Madara asked, glancing at the black and white Venus Fly Trap shinobi.

"Neither. Its Uzumaki Naruto. **The kid who beat Pain,**" Zetsu replied and Sasuke's eyes widened momentarily. "**He may be even stronger than Sasuke now**. Yeah, he's got some powerful new abilities."

"...stronger than...me?" Sasuke snarled, and then he laughed. "Madara...I'm heading to Konoha. Don't try to stop me."

"How about we make a deal then?" Madara asked him. "If you beat me, our alliance is ended and you can do whatever you want. But if you can't...you have to do what I say for the time being."

Sasuke growled. "Fine!"

He dashed towards Madara, his hands sparking with the Chidori and he shot one out in the Chidori Eiso (Chidori Sharp Spear), and he brought it down on the branch that Madara was standing on. The Akatsuki Leader leaped off the falling branch as Sasuke leaped towards him, throwing his chidori out. Madara dodged, catching the fallen Uchiha's wrist and he slammed his foot into Sasuke's stomach, sending him crashing back into the tree.

Sasuke growled, flying through the seals and he shot a blast of flame, the Katon: Goryuka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique), shooting out a massive, dragon shaped fireball that 'roared' at Madara. The Akatsuki leader let it harmlessly pass through his body, and he lifted his own hands. Without doing any seals, or even calling out its name, he fired the Katon: Chou Hosenka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Super Phoenix Immortal Fire techinque), several large massive fireballs shot from where Madara's mouth could be, each colored blue, at Sasuke. Sasuke's eyes widened, and he dodged to the side as Madara continued to fire the large blue fireballs like a machine gun.

_I've never seen a technique like that before!_ Sasuke thought, comparing his own Hosenka no Jutsu to the technique Madara was using while his team jumped or dodged the fireballs. Gritting his teeth, his eyes morphed to the atom-looking six pointed Mangekyo Sharingan he possessed, and blood flowed from his left eye. "Amaterasu!"

Yelling, a fireball was shot out of nowhere, and 'appeared' on Madara. The first Uchiha snarled throwing his arms up around the Amaterasu flames. To Sasuke's astonishment, the flames were then...sucked into Madara's eye and vanished. Madara then vanished into his eye, and teleported right behind Sasuke and slammed his fist into Sasuke's back. Sasuke slammed down to the ground. He managed to turn to face up as Madara landed on him, his foot slamming into Sasuke's stomach. Sasuke coughed up blood, and Madara leaned down. At that moment, their eyes met and the fallen Uchiha's right eye began bleeding.

"_Tsukuyomi_!" Sasuke roared, and Madara found himself in a red and black world and several feathers pierced his body.

"...so this is your Tsukuyomi," Madara said, unimpressed. "Pathetic."

To Sasuke's horror, Madara shattered his Tsukuyomi like it was nothing, and he bent down, grabbing Sasuke by the neck. The fallen Uchiha looked into his ancestor's eye...which had shifted to his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. Sasuke then found himself in the red and black world of the Tsukuyomi...it was just as intense as Itachi's!

"_Welcome to_ my _Tsukuyomi, Sasuke,_" Madara's voice echoed in his mind. "_I admit, I'm not on Itachi's level...but Itachi usually held back. I'm not..._" Sasuke looked down at his hand...which began melting and he began crying in pain. "_So for 12 hours...you'll be melted and reformed over and over again by my chakra...enjoy_"

A second later, in the real world, Sasuke was coughing up blood. "Itachi...said you were...a shadow of your former self..."

"I am," Madara told him, tossing Sasuke to Karin. "However, I'm more than powerful enough to teach you our hierarchy...think of it this way, heading to the Kage Summit and taking out one or two Kages will show how strong you really are. After all, if you figured out my ability, you could beat me."

"Why don't...you do it yourself if you're this strong...?" Sasuke panted as he rolled up Karin's sleave and bit into her wrist, healing chakra beginning to flow into his body.

"Nuh uh uh, remember our agreement. You lost, Sasuke, so you have to do what I say," Madara told him, smirking behind his mask.

"...fine..." Sasuke said, standing up after healing. Madara vanished for a second, then reappeared, tossing them Akatsuki cloaks.

"There, to signify you are members of Akatsuki," Madara said, and he pulled out Itachi's ring, tossing it to Sasuke. "To make it official. Since until you can defeat me, Sasuke, you are a member of Akatsuki."

Sasuke took a deep breath, putting on the black robe with red clouds after discarding his other cloak...and he slipped on the ring. He was now a full member of Akatsuki now...and he looked at the rest of team Taka. Suigetsu was grumbling about wearing an Akatsuki cloak again, putting the Decapitating Carving Knife back on his back. Jugo was pulling his cloak on, and Karin had finished putting on her's.

"...well...we have our orders..." Sasuke said with disgust. "...lets head to the Land of Iron and get into postion."

"Just a moment, Sasuke," Madara said, looking at Zetsu. The strange looking Shinobi then split in two, a black arm appearing on the black side and a white arm appearing on the white side where the divide happened. "Zetsu here will accompany you. He'll be of some help."

Zetsu's white half leaped over after Madara tossed him an Akatsuki Cloak. "I'm ready to go now, Sasuke," Zetsu's white half said with a grin.

"...fine...just don't get into our way," Sasuke ordered and they turned and leaped away, heading northeast towards the Land of Iron.

"**That was risky, wasn't it boss?**" Zetsu's black half said, looking at Madara. "**Just thirty seconds longer in that battle and Sasuke would have defeated you, correct?**"

"Yes," Madara said, squeezing his hand into a fist. "Hence a greater reason to become complete soon. Zetsu, prepare to initiate the Eye of the Moon plan."

"**Hai, Madara**," the black half of Zetsu said.

Without another word, the two vanished, Madara using his teleportation jutsu vanish into his eye until he completely disappeared. Zetsu sank into the ground, also disappearing, leaving the battleground where Sasuke and Madara fought behind.

**Konoha, Northern Gate**  
Naruto had selected Neji Hyuga as his second bodyguard for the Summit and he, Kakashi, and Neji were departing. The rest of the Rookies and Team Gai were seeing them off, as well as most of Konoha. Several people were cheering on Naruto, wishing their new hero luck in the Summit. Kakashi and Neji had on brown robes for protection against the cold in the Land of Iron, which was a country that was covered by snow.

"Well, lets get going," Naruto said, placing his Hokage Hat on his head as he took a deep breath. Before walking out. "...I guess I'm not going to have a better time to do this huh sensei?"

Kakashi looked at him. "Do what?"

"Most of Konoha's here...so this is the best place to do it," Naruto lifted his hat up as the wind began blowing, and he turned to Konoha's populace. "For now on, _I_ protect this village!"

Kakashi smirked at that as the people of Konoha began cheering and whistling in joy at that. "Well...now that that is done, I believe we should depart, Hokage-sama."

"Right, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said with a grin. He did that to feel better...he was still down that Sasuke had fallen off the path so much...he couldn't be saved anymore. "Kakashi-sensei, Neji, lets go!"

"Hai, Hokage-sama!" Kakashi and Neji said at the same time, and the three began walking out of Konoha.

**Kumogakure**  
In the mountain top village of Kumogakure, the Village Hidden in the Coulds, the Yondaime Raikage, A, had finished getting ready for the Summit. He selected his two bodyguards, Shi-as a sensor, Kumo's top medical ninja, and genjutsu specialist, and Darui, his ninjutsu specialist swordsman who was a master of the Kekki Genkai, Storm Release, with him. Shi had medium length blond hair which covered his blue eyes as well as white skin, and was wearing Kumo's standard Jonin uniform of a one strap, gray colored Chunin Vest as well as gray pants. Darui had black skin like most of the people in Kumo, and had short, spiky white hair and a large sword on his back that lacked a point, and was also dressed like Shi. The Raikage himself was a tall, imposing man who was extremely muscular, and he had his Raikage Robe open to expose his muscular chest, and around his wrists were thick, metal guantlets that looked like they weighed a ton each, and around his waist was the ogre belt, and he was wearing dark black pants.

"Darui, Shi, ready to go?" A asked, crouching down near the window.

"Hai, Raikage-sama," both said, wincing as they saw what the Raikage was about to do.

"Then lets go!" A yelled, and with that, he jumped out the window of the Raikage Tower, falling several hundred meters before landing on his feet before dashing towards the southern entrance.

Darui and Shi sighed, and they walked out the door after telling A's secretary to get someone in to fix the window in the Raikage's office. This was...going to be a long journey.

_Kirigakure_  
On the mist covered isle of Water Country, in Kirigakure, the Village Hidden in the Mists, Terumi Mei, the extremely attractive, brown haired Godaime Mizukage was preparing to leave with her two bodyguards, the young Seven Swordsman Chojuro and the leader of the Undertakers, Kiri's Elite Hunter Ninja unit were preparing to go while standing on the docks. A group of villagers were seeing them off. Mei was wearing a blue, low cut kimono that showed off her impressive cleavage and legs with ninja mesh under it, and she was carrying her robes in the pack on her back Chojuro was wearing his glasses, a white long sleaved shirt with vertical black stripes, and cargo pants that were blue and black. Around his chest was where his headband was, connected to the harness that carried the Hirameki, his two handled sword in its unreleased form. Ao's white hair was standing up in a point, and he was wearing strange looking earrings that had tags over them, and his right eye was covered in an eye patch. He was wearing the same white sleave shirt that Chojuro was wearing, but had a blue kimono over his body, and around his forehead was his headband.

"Sir, I swear on my name as Mizukage I will fullfill my duty," Mei said as she took her Mizukage Hat from the elder as he handed it to her.

"Hohoho...as one of the great Seven Swordsmen, you must protect Mizukage-sama."

"I...I think...I'll be fine...probably..." Chojuro said, stammering.

"Have faith in yourself, you're strong," Mei told Chojuro gently, making him blush. "That's why you were chosen to guard me, ok, Chojuro?"

"Uhh...yeah...I'll try my best. ...I hope..." Chojuro said, blushing and smiling. _She's so kind..._

"All you need to say is 'yes ma'am'! No one wants to hear you're waffling! You kids today, just be a man..." Ao said in disgust as darkness descended over Mei's eyes.

_A man..._

"Ao, enough with the lecture. You need to hurry or else you'll be late for the meeting!"

_Need a man...?_ Mei thought.

"I'm just giving the kid advice. When I was his age..."

"Shut up or I'll kill you," Mei said sweetly after turning to Ao, baffling him.

_...HUH?_ Ao thought as his jaw dropped.

Mei held up her hat. "Come on Ao, Chojuro, lets go!"

_I'll protect her beautiful smile...if I can..._ Chojuro thought eagerly as they got onto the boat and departed.

**Iwagakure**  
In Iwagakure, the Village Hidden in the Rocks, which was nestled in a valley surrounded by large mountains, Onoki of the Two Scales was getting ready to go with his bodyguards. He was the Sandaime Tsuchikage, a contemporary of Sarutobi Hiruzen, and the oldest living Kage in the five Countries. He was also...the shortest. He had long white hair, a large nose with bumps on it, and a white pointy mustache and pointy beard. He was also wearing the Tsuchikage robes, with the hat hanging around his neck. His two bodyguards were Kurotsuchi, a pretty black haired kunoichi who wore her hair in a bun, and was two strap gray chunin vest, black t-shirt and black pants, and was carrying a big box on her back. The other was Akatsuchi, a tall, fat shinobi wearing the same outfit, with a big nose and a perpetual smile on his chubby face.

"You can do it Tsuchikage-sama! Kurotsuchi, Akatsuchi, you better protect him you hear!" a bunch of shinobi said on a bridge that was over the Eastern Gate.

"At my age, this meeting'll be a pain," Onoki said, putting his hand onto his back and groaning. "You youngsters don't understand what it's like when your hips are a virtual time bomb!"

"How about it gramps, thinking of retiring?" Kurotsuchi teased as the Tsuchikage put his hand onto the box. "You can't rely on your former glory forever."

"Ahahahaha, I'll take your luggage for you, Tsuchikage-sama," Akatsuchi said, and he began to lift up the box.

"Don't touch, Akatsuchi!" Onoki ordered and he slipped his arms into his luggage's harnesses. "I don't need your help!" He then lifted...and there was a crack and his hips gave out. "OHHH! MY HIPS!"

"What do you say? Should you send someone else in your place?" Kurotsuchi joked.

"D-Don't be ridiculous! Who do you think I am?" Onoki demanded, his eyes bugging out from the pain. "I am the Sandaime Tsuchikage, the great and fearsome leader of Iwagakure! Ooof...I'll carry my own luggage!"

"Good grieve...what a stubborn old man," Kurotsuchi groaned, closing her eyes and rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"All right, I'll carry your luggage then! Lets go!" Akatsuchi said, lifting Onoki and his luggage up with ease, and putting them on his shoulder.

With that, three three departed down the road towards the Land of Iron.

-  
**Sunagakure**  
In Sunagakure, the Village Hidden in the Sand, Gaara, the Godaime Kazekage was preparing to leave with his siblings who he had chosen to be his bodyguards. He was wearing his Kazekage robes and his hat was hanging loosely around his neck, hitting the giant gourd he was wearing on his back that was carrying his sand. Despite losing the Shukaku, Gaara was as strong as ever, hell, he was arguably stronger. He still had his automatic sand shield, but he had been training for the past few months in taijutsu so he wouldn't rely on it anymore, and he had added dozens of Fuuton Jutsus to his arsenal, and another reason why he was stronger-he could finally _sleep_ without worrying about the Shukaku taking control. Kankuro stood next to him, his face paint changed, one purple line over his eyes, one over his mouth and one going up his chin to connect with the one on his mouth, and he was still wearing his black outfit. Temari had a white cloak on and on her back was a large scroll, and she was wearing white shinobi armor under her cloak which had no sides.

"You were late, Kankuro," Baki chided his student as he stood with Ebizo and the rest of the villagers.

"It took me a while to figure out this new trick!" Kankuro said with a grin.

"Be careful, Kazekage-sama," Matsuri, Gaara's student as well as girlfriend said with a smile.

"Kankuro, take good care of him," Ebizo said with a smile.

"We will," Temari said with a smile, waving a new small fan over her face to keep herself cool.

"Alright, lets go," Gaara told his siblings, turning to leave.

"Not like Gaara needs bodyguards!" Kankuro said with a grin, giving a thumbs up to the villagers.

The three began walking off, and the sand began to move under their feet and then the three stood still. Gaara then levitated the sand under their feet, and they began to depart at a high amount of speed towards the Land of Iron in the North East.

_To Be Continued..._

**Author's Note:**  
Whew, I got this chapter done in record time. I hope you like the chapter. Now I bet I'm going to get some questions about Madara-I'll answer them here: Madara is strong, stronger than Sasuke (and not by much, he only dominated in the battle due to Sasuke not knowing how to get by Madara's phasing abilities) now, but weaker than Naruto (not by much), Itachi, Minato, Jiraiya, and Pain. Pain is going to be the benchmark in the fic, he's the strongest thing to exist in the Narutoverse.

Please read and review

Jutsus:

**Amaterasu (No rank, canon technique}**: The strongest fire technique in the manga, said to burn for seven days and nights. It does have a weakness of a relatively slow burn though. Black flames appear as a fireball on the body. Named after the Shinto Goddess of the Sun.

**Chidori (1000 Chirping Birds, A-Rank, Canon Technique)**: Originally developed by Hatake Kakashi and taught to Sasuke while he was still a Konoha Ninja and part of Team Seven. Lightning charges around the user's hand and the user dashes at high speed and plunges it into the target's chest, head, or neck. Sounds like the chirping of a thousand birds.

**Chidori Eiso (Chidori Sharp Spear, A-Rank, Canon Technique)**: Chidori variant developed by Uchiha Sasuke in his training with Orochimaru. Can extend up to 15 meters and can cut or pierce to great effect. The lightning forms around Sasuke's palm and extends as a spear or sword.

**Katon: Chou Hozenka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Super Phoenix Immortal Fire technique, S-Rank, original technique)**: One of Madara's original jutsus, which is an enhanced form of the Hozenka no Jutsu. He fires blue fireballs at his target, the size of the Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Grand Fireball Technique) at the rate of a machine gun or an automatic cannon, and can cause massive destruction. Uses a lot of chakra however.

**Katon: Goryuka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Dragon Fireball Technique, B-Rank, Canon Technique**: A huge dragon-shaped fireball fires from the mouth. Can be used offensively, or to heat up the sky for one of Sasuke's ultimate techniques, the Kirin.

**Tsukuyomi (No Rank, canon technique)**: The ultimate genjutsu that humans can create, only the Magen: Gamarinsho (Demonic Illusion: Toad Confrontation Singing) is stronger. Can place the target in an illusion for several hours. Uchiha Itachi was the absolute master of the technique, and could alter the targets perception of time and space over a span of three days. Madara isn't quite as skilled, but can go up to a full day. Sasuke is quite unskilled, and can only cause pain and unconsciousness in the target for a few moments.


	3. Attack on the Five Kage Summit!

Chapter 3: Attack on the Summit  
**Iron Country**  
After a three day journey, Naruto, Kakashi, and Neji were hiking through the snow towards the Summit building, a massive fortress with three wolf-like heads naturally carved by wind, snow and ice. The young Hokage was learning from his sensei along the way about the country. It was the only nation on the continent which didn't use ninja-it uses Samurai, who were on par with Chunin and Jonin shinobi, and their Generals could hang with even elite Jonin or Kages.

"Raikage-sama probably chose this country due to its strategic location and neutrality," Kakashi said as they walked.

Naruto nodded, truthfully, he had only been paying half attention to what his former sensei was saying. He was reviewing his decision about Sasuke. Wondering if it was too soon to declare Sasuke a missing ninja...did he know the entire story?

_...I'll have my full answer when we meet again...to see if Sasuke really is in Akatsuki..._

"Naruto, are you paying attention?" Kakashi asked, waving his hand in front of Naruto's face.

"Sorry sensei...I spaced out a bit," Naruto said with a grin, rubbing the back of his head. _I'll know what to do when I see him again..._

Kakashi nodded, looking at his former student. "...it's about Sasuke huh?"

"...yeah," Naruto said, breathing out and closing his eyes. "...maybe I should have got the full story from the Cloud Ninja before departing..."

"Sometimes leaders have to make quick decisions without knowing the full story, Naruto," Neji offered as they walked.

"Thanks Neji..." Naruto said as they walked.

"...so what are your intentions to my cousin, Naruto?" Neji asked out of the blue and the young Hokage tripped and fell face first into the snow.

"...where did that come from?" Naruto demanded, picking himself up and shaking his head.

"She _did_ nearly die to save you from Pain, I just want to know your intentions," Neji said coolly.

"I...uh...well we talked about it...and I...well don't know what to do now..." Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head. "And is this really the time?"

"...very well Naruto, we shall discuss in length later," Neji said as they continued to walk towards the Summit building.

**Konoha**  
Sakura, Hinata, and Sai were sitting and talking about recent events. Naruto had been made Hokage, and a few Kumo Ninja had gone to talk to him. The next thing Naruto did, before leaving, was add Sasuke of all people to the Bingo Book. His teammates, Sakura and Sai, had been very surprised about this, as was Hinata.

"...Naruto has the responsibilities of a Hokage now, Sakura," Sai said gently, leaning back. "Whatever Sasuke did must have warranted this."

"I know...I know..." Sakura said, breathing out and closing her eyes. "But...but what? Of all people Naruto should still hold out on some hope..."

"M-Maybe Sasuke invaded Kumogakure's borders or something or killed a few of their shinobi," Hinata said. "It was...probably to avoid war with Kumo..."

Sakura nodded; breathing out as she looked up to see two people coming over-two of the Kumo Ninja on the pond the three Konoha ninja were talking near. One was a dark skinned boy with white hair and a girl with long red hair. The boy pointed at them.

"Tell us everything about Sasuke!" he demanded, pointing at Sakura.

"...what?" Sakura asked him bluntly, looking at the boy directly.

"You heard him, tell us everything," the girl said, putting her hand on her sword. "Or we'll make you tell us!"

Sakura stood up. "What did Sasuke do...?" she started as the Kumo girl charged at her, taking out her sword.

Sakura, Hinata, and Sai leaped out of the way of the katana as the boy also attacked. Hinata activated her Byakugan, and dodged several stabs from the boy as the girl slashed at Sai and Sakura. The ROOT ninja pulled out his tanto, blocking a vertical slash from the Kumo girl and he kicked her away, back onto the pond.

The two Kumo ninja went back to back and began attacking Sakura, Hinata, and Sai in tandem. Sakura dodged a slash from the boy as the girl spun for a kick. Tsunade's apprentice caught her kick with one hand, squeezed the girl's ankle hard and spun and slammed her into the boy. Both Kumo Ninja rolled, tumbling before leaping back onto their feet on dry land.

Sai unleashed a wave of Choju Giga beasts, and both Kumo Ninja began slashing and charging their blades with electricity to destroy the beasts. Hinata and Sakura ran towards them. Both Kumo Ninja were forced fully back onto the dry land as Tsunade's Apprentice and the Hyuga Heiress leaped into the air, and smashed her fist onto the ground, fracturing it and making the Kumo Ninja fall off their feet. Finally, Hinata land, and got into a Jyuken stance.

"Hakke Sanjuni Sho (Eight Trigrams Thirty Two Palms)!" Hinata called out, striking both their attackers 32 times, sealing their chakra and sending them flying back.

Sakura walked forward, lifting up the boy. "Okay, now what the hell has Sasuke done? Naruto put him in our Bingo Books and declared him a Missing Ninja!"

The boy groaned. "He's part of Akatsuki...he took our master..."

Sakura's eyes widened and she dropped the boy. "That...but...why? Itachi was part of Akatsuki...why would Sasuke..."

"Like hell we know!" the girl growled, slamming her sword to the ground to push herself up. "All we know is he...took our master Killer Bee! We don't even know if he's alive or dead!"

Sakura breathed in, looking at Hinata and Sai. She squeezed her hand into a fist. "...if you wanted to know about Sasuke, you didn't have to attack us," she said after a moment.

"...you'll...really tell us?" the boy asked, picking himself up. "...the name's Omoi, by the way."

"...and I'm Karui...damn you hit hard," Karui said, groaning and she looked at Hinata, who was starting to shrink away. "You two, Hyuga..."

"...we don't know fully about Sasuke's powers," Sakura said after a moment and Omoi and Karui looked at her. "...the last time I saw him he was extremely fast, covering a large amount of ground in a short amount of time and had used a new Chidori variant...called it the Nagashi. He also has the Cursed Seal...wields a sword...uses the Chidori, is very skilled with his Sharingan...and uses katons...and probably uses snakes since Orochimaru trained him. If his powers changed since then, I wouldn't know."

Karui nodded as Omoi took notes. "Is...by chance your master a Jinchuriki?" Hinata asked after a moment.

"Yes! He's the Jinchuriki of the Eight Tailed Ox," Karui said. "He taught us everything he knew."

"...then you should focus on saving him instead of going after Sasuke," Sakura said and they looked at her. "There's still a chance that he's alive, Akatsuki wants the tailed beasts, though it takes time to seal them."

"You mean..." Omoi whispered and Sakura nodded.

"...Sasuke is our responsibility," Sakura said and looked at him. "We'll help you save your master."  
-

**Land of Iron**  
Back in the Land of Iron, Naruto, Kakashi, and Neji were arriving in fortress where the Summit was being held. A middle aged man with bandages wrapped around his forehead was greeting them, wearing a formal kimono and two swords on his hip. He was the most powerful Samurai in the Land of Iron, the equivalent of a Kage, High General Mifune.

"Greetings," Mifune started, and he looked at Naruto. "Are you the new Hokage? What happened to Tsunade-hime?"

"Yes, I am...Akatsuki's Leader, Pain, attacked the village, putting Tsunade-sama into a coma," Naruto replied, breathing out. "I've been appointed as the Rokudaime Hokage until she awakens. My name is Uzumaki Naruto."

Mifune nodded. "I see, welcome then Naruto-dono."

Naruto nodded and the three walked in. Up in the rafters, Sasuke's group was watching, the five of them had made their way in passed the samurai sentries without being detected. Sasuke's eyes had turned into the Sharingan as he glared down at his old teammate and sensei. Karin's mouth was opened in shock, feeling the young Hokage's chakra levels.

_Amazing...these are unreal..._ Karin thought and she reached out to check the chakra levels of the other Kages. _...Kami...they're all so huge..._ She glanced at Sasuke who was now squeezing the railing.

The last of the Uchiha was barely controlling his anger as he looked down at his old comrade and Kakashi. _...both of them...living in ignorance of Itachi's sacrifice...dirt...scum..._

In the meeting room, Naruto placed his hat down at the seat reserved for the Hokage as Kakashi and Neji went into the bodyguard room. Gaara looked up at him in slight surprise.

"Naruto, I didn't expect to see you here."

"...I kind of just got appointed as Hokage in Tsunade-sama's absence, Gaara," Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head. He looked around to the other Kages.

A was looking at him, trying to judge what type of character the young Hokage was. Mei's eyes had widened seeing Naruto and a slight smirk appeared on her face. Onoki however was frowning, looking at the young Hokage.

_...he looks too much like the Yellow Flash..._ Onoki thought, looking at the young Hokage.

"Put your hats on the table, I will be your moderator. My name is Mifune," Mifune said. "The meeting will now begin."

"I'll go first, please listen up," Gaara said, folding his hands under his chin.

"The makeup of the Five Kages sure has changed; you must be something to have become Kazekage at your age..." Onoki started, looking at Naruto. "...and you Hokage. Kazekage, your father must have taught you right, but apparently he forgot to instill manners in you."

"I guess that's why I'm Kazekage," Gaara said calmly and Onoki growled 'Cheeky brat!'.

"Tsuchikage-dono, please stop interrupting. Kazekage-dono, please continue," Mei said respectfully.

""I am a former Jinchuriki," Gaara glanced at Naruto. "Akatsuki captured me and killed me to extract my beast. If not for Chiyo-baa-sama, I'd still be dead. That's why I believe Akatsuki is extremely dangerous."

"I can more than confirm that. Like Gaara...I'm a Jinchuriki," Naruto said after Gaara gave him the nod. "Konoha has fought with Akatsuki the most out of the Five Great Nations. Tsunade-sama created the Niju Shotai to combat them. Sarutobi Asuma fell to Hidan and Kakuzu, and Jiraiya-sama himself fell to the Akatsuki Leader Pain." He then closed his eyes. "Just a few days ago, Pain attacked the village...and reduced it to a _crater_."

The Kages, even A's eyes widened. "Pain destroyed the village all on his own?" Onoki asked incredulously.

"Yes, he used a powerful jutsu to do so. He was looking for me, and he had to preserve his secret. Using the technique, Shinra Tensei," Naruto said. "I arrived after the great Toad Sage Shima raised the alarm, and engaged Pain. He used a jutsu to control six bodies, all of which had powerful abilities. With help from Katsuya, Gamabunta, Gamahiro, Gamaken, Fukasaku, and Shima, I was able to destroy five out of six bodies...however the primary body regained its power. I lost...and then in my anger after Pain nearly killed someone I cared about, I was forced to use my Biju...the Kyubi. I went to Six Tails and forced Pain's primary body to retreat...and then as I was about to lose again after Pain bound my body to technique that actually created a small moon...then I went eight tails...but before I could break the seal, the Yondaime Hokage himself appeared in my mind as a fail safe."

"Yondaime Hokage-dono designed the seal to do that?" A asked Naruto who nodded.

"Yes, he repaired my seal and told me that Pain wasn't the true leader. It was a man in a mask who attacked Konoha 16 years ago with Kyubi, Uchiha Madara."

"Uchiha Madara? That's reaching, boy," Onoki said, looking at him. "Madara died long before your time, I should know, I fought him when I was young. Your Shodaime killed him."

"It's hard to believe, I know," Naruto said, and he closed his eyes. "But Madara is alive and well, and is behind Akatsuki and the attack on Konoha 16 years ago."

"There may be some truth to that," Mei said. "Akatsuki was partially formed in Kirigakure, possibly by Yagura, the Yondaime Mizukage. Ao, the leader of our Hunter-nin corps had found out that Yagura was under a Sharingan Genjutsu."

Mei looked at Gaara who looked to have something to say. "...with Naruto's elaboration, I feel the need to tell more of my experience with Akatsuki. My people requested aid from many countries, only Tsunade-sama answered. Though at this point, with so many Jinchuriki captured, it'd be too late to call for aid."

"Humph, if a country had it's Jinchuriki captured, it has no business giving orders! It's an embarrassment! You should have tried to recover it in secret..."

"..._it_?" Naruto interrupted, grasping the table angrily. "Is that what you call us? Just 'it' or 'thing'? Is that how you regarded the two Jinchuriki that were in your village?"

"Now listen here boy..."

"No, you listen old man," Naruto said, cutting him off. "Its true the only reason why the countries lost their Jinchuuriki is _because_ of archaic attitudes like that. We're not weapons. We're not things. We're PEOPLE. It seems only Konoha, Suna, and Kumo understand that if I'm correct."

Onoki bore his teeth at that and A gave a nod. "The reason why I called this meeting is due to my brother's abduction. Frankly...the only two I trust now are the young Hokage here and the young Kazekage, since they understand what my brother went through," A said, shooting a look at Onoki. "You used Akatsuki many times."

"Yes, for a village doing disarmament, a cheap mercenary force was needed. We haven't inflated our Shinobi Force in times of peace like you did, Raikage-dono," Onoki retorted and A's eyes narrowed.

"...I understand why you wouldn't trust Kirigakure, Raikage-dono," Mei interjected. "But we didn't use Akatsuki and have sent hunter nins after them. We even lost an entire group of hunter nins to Akatsuki who had managed to talk to our former Jinchuriki of the Six Tails, Utakata."

"I see..." A said, calming down slightly.

"Bah, I wasn't the only Kage to use Akatsuki," Onoki said and he looked at Gaara. "Your father used them quite extensively."

"...what?" Gaara asked, his eyes narrowing.

"With all the budget cuts that Suna received back then, you're really surprised?"

"Just because the biju were stolen, there is no reason to be afraid," Mei said calmly and they looked at her. "It takes time and knowledge to learn to control them."

"If Madara is truly part of Akatsuki, that is no longer true. He can control the Biju like they're pets, just like Hashirama, your former Mizukage, and Killer Bee," Onoki said. "So the danger is still there."

"Everyone, calm down," Mifune said calmly before A could explode. "It's clear now that what needs to be done. A united front must be presented against Akatsuki, I propose the Five Great Nations ally for this purpose."

"An Alliance...all five of the great nations?" Onoki asked incredulously. "Such a thing hasn't been seen...ever."

"It is clear that smaller alliances between the nations and the villages by themselves can't face Akatsuki alone," Mifune said calmly. "The only answer is an Alliance."

"I agree," Naruto said and all of the Kages looked at him. "We can't afford to do this on our own anymore. Too many of our people have died."

"Very well then, but who should lead the Alliance?" Onoki asked, grating his teeth at Naruto softly.

"Yes, that is the question," Mifune said, looking at the Five Kages that were present. "The Raikage is too emotional to make an effective leader of the entire alliance, the Hokage and Kazekage are too young, there are trust issues between the Mizukage and the rest of the villages, and Tsuchikage is frankly too old and has used Akatsuki in the past. At first glance, none of you are fit to be leader...however..."

Mifune glanced at all the Kages...and settled on Naruto. "Konoha has fought Akatsuki the longest, and has had the most Akatsuki kills and discovered the two leaders of the organization. For that reason, I believe the young Hokage and Konoha should lead the Alliance."

"Seconded," Gaara said.

"Third," A said, surprising them all. "If Konoha can help catch my brother's kidnapper or save him, I'll gladly support them as leaders in this endeavor."

Naruto blinked. "Wow...wow, slow down please," he said, shaking his head. "I don't think I can lead everyone...I don't even have that much experience..."

"Finally, you're talking sense, boy," Onoki said, smirking as Naruto glared at him. "If either of these two pups lead the proposed Alliance, it'll be doomed."

However, before he could continue…something came out of the center of the room. It looked like a Venus Fly Trap…and when it opened, a pure white humanoid…thing with a yellow eye appeared, and wrapped around its lower body was an Akatsuki Robe.

"Sasuke's here! He's all waiting for you!"

Naruto's eyes widened when the Akatsuki in front of him declared that. The freaky white body and yellow eyed...thing looked around at them, its jagged teeth showing for everyone. He gave a psychotic grin.

"Well come on, lets go get Sasuke!" Zetsu announced, grinning.

"What?" A demanded, his anger reaching the boiling point it was prior to the meeting.

The bodyguards rushed into the room when they heard Zetsu's arrival, and both Kankuro's and Temari's eyes had widened. Chojuro and Ao conversed quietly, both shocked as well.

"He?" Temari gasped, raising her hand.

"Sasuke...?" Gaara asked his eyebrow raising.

"What's he doing here?" Kankuro snarled.

"...the one with the Sharingan..." Mei said softly, contemplating this.

"One of the people who killed Zabuza?" Ao asked aloud.

"...whose he?" Akatsuchi asked, looking at Zetsu.

"A member of Akatsuki, I'm pretty sure of it," Onoki replied, grabbing his hat.

"Wait...Sasuke's here?" Naruto demanded before the A tore through the table at lightning speeds, moving faster than even Kakashi, and grasped the plant-like Zetsu's neck.

"WHERE IS UCHIHA SASUKE? ANSWER ME!" A demanded, squeezing Zetsu's neck.

_H-He's really...F-FAST!_ Zetsu thought fearfully.

"If you don't answer me, I won't go easy on you," A warned, squeezing his hand into a fist.

"Oh...fine...I'll give you a hint..." Zetsu attempted, but the Raikage snapped his neck in his anger.

Immediately, Neji activated his Byakugan, scanning the entire compound. He found where Sasuke was, and gave a signal for Kakashi to follow. Kakashi whispered to Naruto.

"How long do you need to get into that Sage Mode of yours?"

"Five minutes, Neji found him already?" Naruto whispered as Mei yelled at the Raikage that they could have used Zetsu for information.

"Hai, we'll find him and hold him off until you arrive, Naruto."

Naruto nodded, calming himself as he kept seated, and he began to stay perfectly still. Mifune sent an all points bulletin throughout the fortress to search and apprehend Sasuke and any of his compatriots, and Kakashi and Neji slipped out of the room with the Hyuga Prodigy leading the way. A smashed his way through the wall in the opposite direction, and Darui apologized for it before following Shi and the Raikage.

In the lower levels of the fortress, Team Hawk was watching as the Samurai began to scramble around. Karin gasped when she began sensing all the Samurai in the tower fortress start moving.

"What is it Karin?" Suigetsu asked his hand on the Decapitating Carving Knife.

"The Samurai, they're starting to move! They seem to be looking for us!" Karin replied, and her eyes widened. "And I sense the two bodyguards that came with the Hokage coming this way too!"

"...Zetsu sold us out," Jugo said as Sasuke's eyes narrowed, his black eyes changing to the Sharingan.

A short ways a way, a Samurai was checking behind the pillars when he saw the telltale Akatsuki robe Sasuke wearing. Acting quickly, he pulled out one of his special katanas and began his charge. However, before he even made it around his pillar, Sasuke had vanished and reappeared behind the Samurai...and slammed the Chidori through his back, killing him.

"Its no use, there are too many!" Karin said from the new hiding spot in the rafters. "They'll capture us for sure!"

"That bastard Zetsu...I'll get him for this," Suigetsu snarled, grasping the knife.

Just a few short seconds later, Sasuke was surrounded by nearly thirty Samurai. He grasped his chokuto with his blood covered hand as the armored soldiers grasped their own blades, pulling them out.

"Attack!" The leader of the Samurai team ordered, yanking out their short swords. All the Samurai in the room began to channel chakra into their blades, making them extend to a variety of chakra axes, swords, and other weapons.

"...Samurai can use chakra too...?" Karin whispered, watching.

"I had no idea they could use chakra like that..." Suigetsu said, watching.

"Sasuke, what are you doing? Hide!" Karin yelled as Sasuke's chakra took a spike.

"I'm...really pissed off right now," Sasuke said, his Sharingan looking at the enemy samurai. "Come, I won't go easy on you."

"Neither will us!" The Samurai commander announced, launching an X-shaped chakra blade at Sasuke as the others launched a buzz-saw shaped one, and other shaped blades of chakra at him.

Charging lightning chakra through his chokuto, Sasuke drew his blade vertically up and he cut through the samurais' attacks with ease. The Samurai gasped that he deflected it, and just as Sasuke began his charge...

"Hakke Kusho (Eight Trigrams Empty Palm)!" was heard and Sasuke was hit by a vacuum blast of air, and he was sent flying sideways.

Sasuke then looked up to see the Hyuga Prodigy there, his Byakugan on. "Hyuga Neji..."

"Uchiha Sasuke, its been three years, though your chakra is still as black as I saw it during the Forest of Death," Neji said, walking calmly towards Sasuke.

"That's one of the Hokage's bodyguards...where's the other?" Suigetsu gasped.

"Behind you, I recognize that sword," a voice said from behind them, and Suigetsu, Karin, and Jugo jumped slightly and then looked to see Hatake Kakashi behind them. "Jugo of the Scales I recognize, but not you two."

"Samurai-san, file out, you can't handle this opponent," Neji said as he and Sasuke glared at each other. "He's Konoha's problem, we'll deal with him."

The Samurai reluctantly nodded, and fled as Neji and Sasuke squared off on each other. Jugo and Suigetsu attacked Kakashi at the same time, and he lifted his headband up to reveal the Sharingan, and he dodged both of their attacks but Jugo's cursed seal fist smashed the rafter into pieces.

At the same time, Sasuke ran forward at Neji, his Chidori Kusanagi charged up. The Hyuga prodigy had settled into Jyuken stance and just as the Uchiha slashed at him, he put up a partial Hakkesho Kaiten to block the blade, and Sasuke was unable to complete the slash. Neji then spun rapidly, yelling Kaiten to throw Sasuke back.

Gritting his teeth as he was thrown back, Sasuke took a deep breath. "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)!" to blow a massive fireball at Neji who did his own seals.

"Suiton: Mizurappa (Water Release: Violent Water Wave)!" Neji called out, blowing out a massive stream of water at the fireball, and the two attacks canceled out each other.

Neji then saw multiple Chidori Senbon being launched at him and he dodged each of them by mere millimeters. Sasuke roared, charging up the Chidori and he took off towards the Hyuga Prodigy at insane speeds. Neji waited till the last moment, and faster than Sasuke could see, the Hyuga Prodigy slammed his fingers into the tenkatsus in his arms. Just as the Chidori touched Neji, it fizzled out making it a simple palm strike.

Sasuke leaped back, snarling. "So you closed my tenkatsus to save yourself, huh?"

"Give up, Sasuke. Your inexperience with Jyuken means I can beat you here," Neji told him, settling into a deep Jyuken stance. He could see Sasuke's entire tenkatsu system, including those he closed off.

Sasuke snarled, and his anger reopened the tenkatsus in his arms. "I'm going to kill you, you white eyed bastard. You Hyugas have always been inferior to the Uchiha."

With that, Sasuke charged at Neji and launched a punch at him which the Hyuga Prodigy sidestepped. The two engaged in a flurry of taijutsu, however, Sasuke felt himself being overwhelmed by Neji's mastery of Jyuken, his arms and chest being sealed by the Hyuga Prodigy's strikes. The Uchiha was sent flying back by another Kaiten, and he roared in rage.

Sasuke's Sharingan morphed to the Mangekyo Sharingan, the six pointed stars in his eyes focusing on Neji. His left eye then began to bleed, and saw the surge of chakra in the Uchiha's eyes.

"AMATERASU!" he roared, and the black flames of Amaterasu in a fireball form shot at the Hyuga.

Acting quickly, Neji activated his strongest defense. "Hakkesho Cho Kaiten (Eight Trigrams Super Heavenly Spin)!" The blue sphere of chakra surrounded the Hyuga Prodigy's body as he began spinning rapidly, and he made a double layer of the Kaiten.

The Amaterasu impacted the swirling sphere of chakra, and were deflected by the rapidly spinning chakra of the Kaiten. However, the first layer was burned off, but the second layer closer to Neji's body was untouched, as he finished spinning, he launched a Hakke Kusho (Eight Trigrams Empty Palm) at Sasuke, the attack slamming into his face. Neji panted, glaring at Sasuke who growled angrily, blood now dripping from his lip.

_The Mangekyo Sharingan...when did he get that?_ Neji thought, keeping his guard as he looked at Sasuke. _Need to keep on my guard...I don't know if I can beat him now..._

At the same time, Kakashi had chased Suigetsu, Jugo, and Karin into a small room that was now covered in a mist. The copy ninja frowned, looking around. His Sharingan could only see chakra, a similar impairment he had when he faced Zabuza on the Great Naruto Bridge.

He then dodged the Decapitating Carving Knife by mere centimeters, but Jugo's heavy Cursed Seal fist slammed into him, sending him crashing back. Flipping to his feet, he began doing the seals and took a deep breath, launching a Gokakyu no Jutsu from his mouth to evaporate the mist. Kakashi then blocked and dodged Suigetsu's strikes and lifted his hand, it charging with Lightning.

"Raikiri Okami (Lightning Cutter Wolf)!" He yelled, bringing his hand down as he shaped a wolf made out of lightning that began chasing after Suigetsu, homing in on him.

"Crap!" Suigetsu yelled, running quickly as the lightning wolf leaped at him, and then crashed into him and he gave a loud cry as his body was electrocuted. He dropped to his knees, managing to channel most of the lightning through the Decapitating Carving Knife, and he panted. "Ow...that really smarts..."

Jugo's arm then grabbed Suigetsu from the door, yanking him back. There was Karin, holding a kunai that had a whole assortment of explosive tags on it. She grinned, waving her finger like she was scolding him.

"Sorry Hatake-san, you lose!" Karin yelled as she tossed the kunai with the explosive tags on it as she, Suigetsu, and Jugo began running back towards Neji and Sasuke's fighting area.

Kakashi's eyes widened. "Crap..." He ducked the kunai, and it slammed into the wall as the explosive tags ignited. He flew through the seals. "Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu (Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique)!"

He dove into the ground just as the entire room was engulfed in an huge explosion that blew the roof off as well as blew a hole into the other rooms in the surrounding area.

"Great plan Karin, I guess you've got some uses!" Suigetsu said as they ran as fast as they could.

"Well I knew we couldn't face him head on, given he's the legendary Copy Ninja after all!" Karin said with a grin and she adjusted her glasses. "Nice for a split of the moment plan wasn't it?"

Jugo nodded. "Yes."

Just then, the ground underneath them splintered and Kakashi leaped out, launching a kick at Suigetsu, and his head exploded into a shower of water and he punched Jugo into Karin, slamming them both into the wall.

"You made a pretty good plan, though you should have kept the mist up," Kakashi said with a grin as Suigetsu reformed, and Jugo helped Karin up who was groaning.

At that moment, before Neji and Sasuke could continue fighting, the wall exploded and there stood A the Raikage, as well as his bodyguards Darui and Shi.

_Never thought I'd be happy to see this bastard..._ Neji thought, panting as he looked at A.

"Stand aside Hyuga, Sasuke is _my_ target," A commanded, snarling at Sasuke who glared back, his eyes having morphed back to the normal Sharingan.

"...very well..." Neji said, powering his Byakugan off. A tore his Raikage cloak off, lightning enveloping his body into a cloak.

Sasuke glared at the Raikage, the blood still leaking from his eye and lip, though his resolve was still great. His Akatsuki Robes fluttered in the breeze created by A's Raiton no Yoroi (Lightning Release Armor) flared in challenge to his Sharingan.

_To Be Continued..._

**Author's Notes:**  
Finally, the chapter is fully finished. I'm sorry I gave you a long wait, my readers! I hope you enjoyed Neji vs. Sasuke and Kakashi vs. Suigetsu, Jugo, and Karin. I worked really hard on them. Neji vs. Sasuke was written to establish that Neji was the Konoha 11's number two in power, with only Naruto stronger than him. He can hold beat Sasuke's base form due to his superior taijutsu, and I threw in the Mizurappa for him to give him an element.

Please Read and Review

**Jutsus**:

_Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu_ (Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique), canon technique, D-rank-Kakashi's signature Earth Release, he dives into the ground and tunnels underneath it, then yanks the victim up to their head for decapitation, or burrows under the ground to ambush the target.

_Hakkesho Chou Kaiten_ (Eight Trigrams Super Heavenly Spin), original technique, no rank- An enhanced version of the normal Kaiten. First creates a large outer 'shell' rotation, then a smaller, standard one surrounds the user to provide a double defense when needed.

_Hakke Kusho_ (Eight Trigrams Empty Palm), canon technique, no rank-A ranged version of the Hakkesho Kaiten, can send the target flying by the vacuum that Neji creates between his palms.

_Hakkesho Kaiten_ (Eight Trigrams Heavenly Spin), canon technique, no rank-The Hyuga Clan's ultimate defensive technique, first the user pushes chakra out of their pores to form a shield, then begins spinning to expand said shield.

_Raikiri Okami_ (Lightning Cutter Wolf), canon technique (original name), S-Rank- Kakashi creates a wolf made out of lightning that hones in on the target to either fatally electrocute or paralyze it. First used against God Realm in the Invasion of Konoha.

_Suiton: Mizurappa_ (Water Release: Violent Water Wave), canon technique, C-Rank- The opposite of the Gokakyu no Jutsu, the most basic water technique seen in the series


	4. Epic Rematch: Naruto vs Sasuke!

Chapter 4: Epic Rematch, Naruto and Sasuke Clash!  
**Land of Iron**  
Naruto had created three bushins to continue gathering natural energy as he entered Sage Mode. Mei, Gaara, and Onoki watched as he kept perfectly still for a few minutes, breathing out slowly, not knowing he was channeling natural energy into his body and balancing it. He fought to remain calm...he was going to confront Sasuke here and now...and see if he was truly beyond saving. He could have rushed down, leaving his clones to gather Natural Energy, but he needed to get his thoughts in order first, hence why he was entering Sage Mode the standard way. This would also give him 20 full minutes in Sage Mode with the three other clones, just in case he needed it.

_Let's see...how much you've changed Sasuke..._ Naruto thought, pulling more natural Energy into his body, and if one could see Natural Energy, there would be an aura around him the size of the entire room. _Then I'll conclusively know my answer..._

"Bah, what's that boy doing?" Onoki asked to his bodyguards. "Just sitting there as stiff as a board..."

"I don't know, or why those clones of his are doing the same," Akatsuchi said as Kurotsuchi put her hand on her chin, thinking.

"Tsuchikage-sama, should I go and back up Raikage-sama, and the Konoha nins against Sasuke? I want to see the person who killed Deidara-nii, see if he really is that good."

Onoki nodded. "Yes, lets see this new Akatsuki, see if he measures up to those we know before."

Kurotsuchi nodded, and in a puff of smoke, she vanished in a body flicker technique. Gaara looked over to Naruto, wondering what the hell he was doing just sitting there.

Below them, Sasuke was rushing A, Darui, and Shi. His Akatsuki cloak flapped around his body as he ran forward, his chokuto in his hand. Acting quickly, Darui flew through the seals.

"Suiton: Suijinheki (Water Release: Water Encampment Wall)," Darui said calmly, and water burst out of his mouth, slamming into Sasuke before he could connect. He then did more seals, and his hands charged up with lightning. "Raiton: Kangehika (Lightning Release: Wave of Inspiration)."

Darui shot a blast of lightning through the water, super charging it as it hit Sasuke. The Uchiha cried out in pain as his body was electrocuted, and was sent flying away. Sasuke charged the lightning that was coursing through his body into his sword, and slammed it into the ground, and the electricity traveled out of his body. Glaring at Darui with the Sharingan, he willed himself to stand up despite the paralysis after effect that was in his body from the attack.

"Boss, it appears our intelligence was correct, looks like its lightning based," Darui said, separating his hands as A's Raiton no Yoroi (Lightning Release Armor) burst another level onto his body, the air was literally crackling and popping from the heat of the electricity swirling around A's body.

"He can use fire too. He'll probably follow it up with a Katon," Shi said, remembering the information they initially got about Sasuke when Samui, Omoi, and Karui reported in. It was the reason why the Raikage's entourage was late to the Summit. Not only that, they had information of Akatsuki's operatives, like Uchiha Itachi, Hoshigaki Kisame, Deidara, Sasori, Hidan, and Kakuzu due to the Sannin Jiraiya raising the alarm on their danger to the Raikage a year before Akatsuki began to gather Jinchuuriki again. "Darui, be ready with another Suiton."

"Right," Darui said as Karin, Suigetsu and Jugo looked over, taking their eyes off of Kakashi and Neji.

"Sounds like they must have gotten Intel on Sasuke from Konoha..." Suigetsu said, glancing at the two Konoha Ninjas in front of them.

"Hey...in the middle, is that...?" Karin asked, looking at the Raikage.

Jugo made his hand into an axe, dashing forward to cover Sasuke. Neji and Kakashi attempted to stop him, but he avoided their attacks. Skidding to a halt, he was behind the last Uchiha, ready to cover him.

"These are Kumogakure's Jonins, the middle one is the Raikage, this won't be easy," Jugo stated, preparing himself.

"I need backup, we were attacked by Sasuke," a single Samurai reported, radioing the others.

Shi then flew through the seals and his body began glowing. Jugo stepped back but Sasuke stood firm.

"Raigen Rakochu (Lightning Illusion: Flash of Lightning Pillar)!" Shi yelled, sending a bright flash throughout the entire room, blinding everyone ahead of him in range.

_Is he trying to blind us?_ Jugo thought, not having a dojutsu that could see through the illusion, he then saw A rushing at Sasuke who didn't move. The Raikage's fist smashed down at Sasuke, seemingly smashing him into the ground.

"Sasuke!" Jugo called out.

"Stand firm Jugo, this is a genjutsu," Sasuke said calmly, his Sharingan seeing through it all.

_Not bad, Sharingan,_ Shi thought.

"You may have seen through the genjutsu, but it's too late!" A roared, appearing in front of Sasuke as Darui appeared behind his back. The Raikage's lightning armor thundered as he rose his hand up to deliver a killing blow, and Darui lifted his thick sword up at Sasuke's back.

Reacting quickly, Suigetsu and Karin slipped by Neji and ran towards Sasuke. Karin tossed two kunai with explosive tags at Darui and the Raikage, making them break off their attack on Sasuke. A, using his speed, instantly came back for another attack on the Uchiha as he began to rise to his feet, but Suigetsu arrived in time to block the heavy gauntlet with his sword.

_Crap, lightning..._ Suigetsu thought, struggling to keep the Raikage's massive gauntlet from smashing Sasuke. Then the Decapitating Carving Knife began to crack...and A's fist slashed right through as Suigetsu's arms were ripped off. Even though he was made of water, it hurt like hell! Sasuke and Suigetsu were sent skidding back as the water ninja's arms reformed. "Damn it, he smashed my sword!"

Jugo's eyes bugged out, his bloodlust overtaking him as his body changed, becoming sleeker and turned gray in color. Wing-like growths appeared on his forearms as his eyes turned black, and on his back were six tubes now that gushed chakra. He breathed out a bit of smoke made of chakra, and gave an evil grin at the Raikage. Sasuke then gave a nod which he sensed, and he ran towards A at full speed.

"Hahahaha! I'll kill ya!" Jugo roared, rushing towards the Raikage.

"Wow, his personality's changed," Darui said as he watched.

"And his chakra levels have gone off the charts! Stay on your guard!" Shi warned as Neji focused his Byakugan on Jugo.

_A high increase of power at an decrease of intelligence..._ He focused on the Raikage. _...though his Chakra levels...Kami...they're as high as a Biju's!_

"Just try it!" A roared in response, turning fully towards Jugo.

His body flickered, and there was a thunder clap as he appeared in front of Jugo. The bipolar fighter tried to block by growing a multi-layered shield from his wrists. A effortlessly punched through Jugo's defense, the lightning chakra adding to the penetration and he slammed Jugo through multiple pillars until he smashed into the last one, pinning him.

"One down..." A said as Sasuke focused his Sharingan on him. "Your Sharingan won't work on me!"

_Damn it...I can't even see him!_

-  
Jugo laughed loudly, still pinned to the pillar by the Raikage, his Raiton no Yoroi raging around him. The Cursed Seal's source then created many chakra cannons, which extended all out of his sides and shoulders. They began to glow as chakra was funneled to them.

"DIE!" Jugo roared, firing a massive blast of chakra at A, seemingly hitting him. Neji, Shi, and Darui seemed to wait, unsurprised or not very much concerned, which was strange since the Raikage looked like he got vaporized. "YES! I got..."

Before Jugo could even finish his sentence, A's elbow smashed into his head. Using his Raiton no Yoroi, combined with the Shunshin no Jutsu, his speed increased greatly, it was incredibly hard to see. He could even dodge point blank attacks like Jugo used. Jugo himself smashed into a nearby wall, which cratered around him, leaving an imprint before he fell to the ground, unconscious.

In the distraction, Sasuke had appeared right in front of Shi, and cast him under a powerful Sharingan Genjutsu. Shi's eyes widened, it was like he was grabbed by a demonic figure which began sucking the life out of him. Realizing it was genjutsu, he broke it, as the Uchiha dodged a kick from Kakashi. The Copy Ninja's and Sasuke's eyes locked, and the Uchiha back flipped out of the way when Kakashi tried to hit him with a Raikiri.

Also, Darui and Suigetsu got into a swords battle, Suigetsu's broken blade smashing into the Cloud Ninja's weird flat-head blade. Darui charged electricity through his blade, clashing with the broken Decapitating Carving Knife as Karin took cover.

A straightened himself out as Sasuke came at him in an attack. Charging the Chidori through his chokuto, making the Chidorigatana (Chidori Katana), he slashed at the Raikage's back. However, his sword was deflected by the Raiton no Yoroi and the sword flew out of Sasuke's hand and he landed on his feet.

Charging up another Chidori, Sasuke roared as the lightning surrounded his hand, nearly achieving the power of the Raikiri. A roared, his own lightning armor bursting as both moved faster than the eye could see. Only Karin, Neji, and Kakashi could even track them-due to the latter two's sensory abilities and due to Kakashi's Sharingan. Like a corkscrew, the Copy Ninja's Sharingan morphed to his Mangekyo Form to get ready.

Both Sasuke and A clashed. "**ELBOW!**" the Raikage roared shoving his elbow forward at lightning speed.

"_**CHIDORI!**_" Sasuke roared, the blaring sound of flapping birds filling the hall.

With his Sharingan, Sasuke was able to predict the linear movement of A's strike, and he ducked...and shoved the Chidori forward, impacting the Raiton no Yoroi. However, the Lightning Armor discharged an opposing voltage to the Chidori, sending off a massive electrical field which formed sphere like blast that cut through the ground and the corner of the wall, and electricity sparked around them continuing to cut away at the wall and floor. Sasuke focused his Sharingan, and his eyes widened slightly-only the very tip of his finger tips penetrated the Raikage's skin! It was just a flesh wound!

A then grabbed Sasuke's waist in a vice-like grip and the last Uchiha struggled. "Using Raiton to increase an attack's power and penetration? That's Hatake Kakashi's move! To be able to touch me even when I'm clad in my Raiton no Yoroi...that's really something!"

"Damn, is there any hope?" Suigetsu snarled, clashing with Darui, their blades slashing at each other in a fierce combat.

"Nope...Sasuke is as good as dead," Darui replied, parrying Suigetsu's slash away easily.

"Sasuke!" Karin yelled as A's chakra levels spiked again, and he lifted Sasuke up by his waist.

"Raiger Bomu (Liger Bomb)!" A roared, slamming Sasuke down back first into the ground.

The force of the Raiger Bomu tore up the ground all around them, splintering it into a circular fashion as both Sasuke and A sank into the ground from the impact. The blow shook the entire room, making all the ninja in the room leap out of the way to find better footing. Neji's eyes were wide; the crater of the Raiger Bomu was at least eight meter's deep and 12 meters wide!

_A-Amazing..._ Neji thought, finding his footing and then he saw something around Sasuke's body...a skeleton?

Sasuke had managed to activate his Mangekyo Sharingan in time, putting up Susano'o's ribcage around him to take most of the blow of the Raiger Bomu. His robe had managed to take a rip and a trickle of blood flowed down his lip from the force of the impact, A's eyes widened in a little shock, but two of the Susano'o's ribs then cracked, and broke. The Susano'o began to glow with a purple aura, and the Raikage let go and jumped back and Sasuke did as well, the full ribcage around his body as he returned to his feet.

A skeletal arm balanced him as Sasuke panted, and A looked right at him. There was a six pointed star in Sasuke's eyes that was completely red and surrounded by darkness, and in the middle was a black pupil. The Uchiha was starting to suffer the effects of exhaustion and his entire body hurt, and even though part of his robe was ripped, it was still on his body.

_Is that the Mangekyo Sharingan?_ A thought and he powered up again, entering a version two of his Raiton no Yoroi. His platinum blond hair which seemed to stick to his head then began standing up, and the lightning aura around him expanded. His chakra levels also skyrocketed.

Darui had gone to help Shi, and lifted him up by his shoulders. "No one's ever been able to survive that before...just what the hell is he anyway?" Darui asked in slight amazement.

"He beat me with a genjutsu...I still can't really move...every once and a while you'll find a genius like that..." Shi said, breathing out as the Samurai Reinforcements began arriving.

_So that's Sasuke's Mangekyo..._ Kakashi thought as the Kumo Jonin looked on in amazement, muttering about those eyes that Sasuke had at that moment.

Suigetsu was now pinned to his electrified sword to a wall, watching on. _Am I...too weak against Raitons? I'm paralyzed and I can't even liquefy properly..._

Karin's eyes were widened in shock. _The Raikage's chakra is still growing...these are Biju levels!_

Sasuke's Amaterasu eye then started bleeding. "Amaterasu!" he yelled, a fireball of black flames appearing on A...and then his body vanished, leaving an after image. A Samurai behind the Raikage was then ignited by the Amaterasu, his armor shielding him as he cried out in fright.

Sasuke reacted in shock...the Amaterasu had been _avoided_. This was...unprecedented, the black flames were supposed to be unavoidable. And yet...the Raikage had dodged them like he was just doing a simple side step.

"Put out the flames!" one of the Samurai yelled, running forward and he had to take a step back from the heat.

"These are no ordinary flames, step back!" one of the other Samurai ordered.

_Amaterasu ignites whatever he's looking at...this is..._ Shi thought, watching.

A reappeared behind Sasuke, roaring. "Raigyaku Suihei (Lightning Oppression Horizontal)!"

At that, the Uchiha ignited the Amaterasu around his Susano'o, forming a shield which stopped the Raikage's attack. At that very same moment, in the main meeting room, Naruto's eyes opened as he finished entering Sage Mode. He stood up as Gaara did too.

"If you're going to face Sasuke, we're going too," Gaara said and Naruto nodded. "Thanks. Let's go."

With that, Naruto ran out into the hallway shortly followed by Gaara, Temari and Kankuro-who was eager to test out his new toy. Mei stood up, looking at her bodyguards.

"Ao, activate your Byakugan and monitor the battle. If Sasuke should come up here, I want to be ready," Mei ordered and Ao nodded, and behind his eye patch, his Byakugan activated. "Chojuro, better get ready to unleash the Hirameki."

"Hai, Mizukage-sama!" Chojuro said, yanking the bandages off his sword and the shape of a hammer appeared. _If Sasuke attacks, I will protect Mizukage-sama!_

Back in the battle, Karin looked up to see the black flames of Amaterasu around Sasuke's Susano'o and she grinned. _A shield of Amaterasu! Good thinking! The Raikage's impossibly fast, but this way Sasuke is protected even if he can't follow the Raikage's movements! Now the Raikage won't be able to attack him!_

_He can control the black flames? Even changing their shape! Is he more skilled with this technique than Itachi?_ Shi thought as Sasuke glanced back at A.

"**DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!**" A roared, moving forward with his attack. At that very moment, Kakashi activated his Kamui, and he managed to at least rob the side of Sasuke's Susano'o that was facing the Raikage of its black hole as the Raikage's palm smashed through the ribs like they were twigs!

_Huh? Where did the flames go and the Raikage was attacking anyway?_ Karin thought as Kakashi put his hand onto his eye, dropping to one knee.

"What happened to the flames in that area...?" Shi asked in amazement.

"I think we have Kakashi to thank for that, Raikage-sama would have lost his arm otherwise," Darui said, smirking at Kakashi who gave him thumbs up.

Sasuke crashed to the ground with a sickening crunch, his Susano'o barely keeping up as the Raikage followed up by jumping into the air, holding his heel up high for his finisher. It was at that moment that the ceiling exploded, Naruto and Gaara dropped down with Temari and Kankuro. In a desperate attempt to save himself Sasuke began manipulating the remaining flames around his Susano'o shield.

"Girochin Doroppu (Guillotine Drop)!)" He roared as Sasuke shaped the flames into a non-corporeal shield, and then shaped them into spikes.

"Enton: Kagutsuchi (Blaze Release: Kagutsuchi/Added Tool Earth Lord)" Sasuke roared. If he was going to die, he was taking the Raikage's leg with him.

_He's still trying to fight?_ Shi thought and then...a wave of sand shot over and before either attack could strike, both Sasuke and A's attacks were blocked by a shield of sand.

_Sand?_ A thought.

_What?_ Sasuke thought in shock, seeing the shield above him...it wasn't being burned through by the Amaterasu in the slightest.

Everyone looked back to see Naruto and Gaara standing there-the Kazekage's gourd had popped open and sand was swirling out. His Absolute Defense was still as fast and powerful as always. The fact he could even intercept both the Kagutsuchi and A's Girochin Doroppu was amazing. Naruto was looking at Sasuke as his black flames over him faded but the Susano'o stayed. Karin, not caring about her own safety ran over to Sasuke as the Raikage leaped back to his men.

"Gaara...of the Desert...and..." Sasuke's eyes narrowed at Naruto who was standing there in Sage Mode. "_**Naruto...**_" _He may be even stronger than you, Sasuke!_ Zetsu had said to him, and his anger began growing as Karin arrived at his side.

"Sasuke, bite me quick!" Karin yelled, rolling up her sleeves as Sasuke bit into her arm and she gasped. Healing chakra surged through Sasuke's body and he began to straighten up.

"Okamaitachi no Jutsu (Scythe Weasel technique)!" Temari called out, sending a blast of wind which curled around from her fan which went through the Samurai's armor which had been struck by Amaterasu as chakra strings from Kankuro attached to certain points, and then he yanked the armor off, saving the Samurai from the black flames.

"So these are the undying flames of Amaterasu..." Kankuro said, keeping the flames away from him.

"Stand back, Samurai. This is between ninjas, there's no need for you Samurai to lose your lives over this," Gaara ordered gently, looking at Sasuke as he continued to heal his wounds from biting Karin.

"S-Sorry Kazekage-sama and Hokage-sama..." a Samurai said, lifting the man who was nearly incinerated up.

"...what the hell is going on...?" Suigetsu said as Naruto stepped forward.

"Why did you interfere, Kazekage? If I don't like your answer, I won't let you off so easily!" A roared, his Raiton no Yoroi sparking around his body.

"Preventing you from losing your leg, Raikage-dono," Gaara said and A looked up. "And saving your life if the flames were too intense, not only that, Hokage-dono here has something to ask Sasuke."

A frowned, but he crossed his arms. "Fine."

Naruto looked at Sasuke. "Why are you doing this Sasuke? Why the hell did you join Akatsuki? It doesn't make any sense!"

Sasuke actually gave a spiteful chuckle. "Why am I doing this? You really want to know, Naruto?" hatred filled his eyes that had changed to the normal Sharingan. "It is so I can wipe out every last one of you Konoha bastards so the Uchiha name can be purified!"

"What...?" Naruto asked, his eyes widened.

"This is vengeance...everyone who profited from the from the Uchiha Clan's segregation...and from the false peace Itachi sacrificed himself for!" Sasuke said, his teeth bearing down in hatred. "Everyone in Konoha...they will all die for spitting on Itachi's sacrifice and treating the Uchiha like dirt!"

"That...that doesn't make any sense! The Uchiha Clan was highly respected, everyone knows that! Hell they had more power than even the Hyuga Clan," Naruto said and Sasuke frowned. "You're not..."

"Shut up..." Sasuke snarled, and he took a step forward and threw his arm back, carelessly hitting Karin who fell into the rocks, bumping her head and knocking her out. "You'll be the first, Naruto...I will finish the job I started at the Valley of the End."

Naruto watched, and his eyes narrowed. "...if you're going to do this Sasuke...I'm going to stop you."

"Try it!" Sasuke roared, dashing towards Naruto.

The young Hokage met Sasuke's charge, and he dodged the punch that the Uchiha launched. Shifting into Kawazu Kumite (Frog Katas), and faster than Sasuke's Sharingan could see he launched a powerful roundhouse kick at Sasuke. Barely reacting in time, Sasuke blocked with his fist but was sent flying back by the sheer force of the kick!

In Sasuke's fist, three of the bones in his hand had shattered from the force of the kick and made him grimace in pain. Naruto leaped at him and he dodged another roundhouse and side kick, but just barely before he threw a punch at the young Hokage, who blocked and sent out his own fist. Since it was a straight on punch, Sasuke's Sharingan easily read it and he moved his head to the side...and when he went to retort, he was suddenly sent flying by a force he couldn't see!

_What the hell? What hit me!_ Sasuke thought and barely landed on his feet when Naruto charged him again. He then flew through the seals, and his hand ignited with the Chidori. "Chidori!"

The Uchiha charged Naruto, the sound of a thousand chirping birds filling the halls. Naruto created a clone and a Rasengan after wards, and met Sasuke's charge with his own. Chidori and Rasengan clashed, but since the young Hokage was in Sage Mode, Sasuke's hate filled Chidori was completely overpowered and he was sent flying back in the resulting explosion.

_There's no way...he can't be stronger than me!_ Sasuke's eyes changed to the Mangekyo Sharingan, and Susano'o's ribs wrapped around him protectively and he gave a roar of rage as he slammed into the wall. Two of the ribs cracked and shattered from the force, but Sasuke was still conscious and he stood up. "You have gotten very strong, Naruto...but this will be the same as last time..."

Naruto blinked in confusion as Kakashi leaped over to him. "That's the Susano'o, Naruto. Its the third of the Mangekyo Sharingan's powers..."

"I see..." Naruto said, biting his thumb as Sasuke's Susano'o continued to grow from his frustration. "Kuchiyoise no Jutsu (Summoning Jutsu)!"

Slamming his palm down, there was a burst of smoke and when it cleared, the two small 800 year old Toad Sages, Fukasaku and Shima were there. Shima seemed to be holding up an invisible plate and then she blinked, looking around.

"Naruto-chan! You better have a good reason for summoning me here during dinner time! I was making my famous caterpillar stir fry!" Shima yelled angrily making Naruto wince.

"Ma, Naruto-chan wouldn't summon us in case he really needed us for something! You can finish cooking when we're finished here!" Fukasaku chided his wife who crossed her arms.

"Humph, fine!" Shima said as she looked up at Naruto. "Why do you need us now?"

Naruto chuckled weakly, and he pointed. "I'm fighting my former teammate, Uchiha Sasuke. He has the Mangekyo Sharingan; I could use your help."

Fukasaku regarded Sasuke as the Susano'o grew around him. "The Mangekyo Sharingan huh, haven't seen one of those for nearly sixty years, Susano'o by the looks of it..."

Naruto blinked. "You've fought someone with the Mangekyo Sharingan before?"

"Yep, with one of the first human Sages, he belonged to the Senju Clan," Fukasaku said as the giant skeleton of Susano'o was fully formed.

The skeleton was fully formed and there was a purple aura around it. Muscles also began growing around the Susano'o's arms and chest as one of the giant hands 'patted' its stomach where Sasuke was, and Naruto and the Sages looked at the Uchiha.

"I am going to crush you, Naruto..." Sasuke snarled, and Naruto crossed his fingers.

"You can try," Naruto said, creating two clones.

At once, Sasuke made a charge as Naruto and his clones began running at Sasuke. The Uchiha's left eye started bleeding again, and the Hokage and his clones began running in a crisscrossing fashion to throw off his aim. Sasuke caught one of the Naruto's in the Amaterasu, making it cry in pain. One of the other Naruto's grabbed it by his flame-free hand...and then tossed it right at Sasuke!

Sasuke's eyes widened as the burning clone impacted on his Susano'o and puffed away, the flames showering down on the Uchiha's shield. The Uchiha snarled and Naruto took the opportunity to transfer a Rasengan to the clone, and then the clone expanded the Rasengan into its giant form-Senpo: Odama Rasengan. It was twice as large as Naruto was tall.

The clone leaped at Sasuke, jamming the Sage Chakra powered Odama Rasengan into the Susano'o's chest. The Uchiha grunted, being pushed back as the Senpo: Odama Rasengan ground into Susano'o's ribs, and they began to crack and splinter. Sasuke roared, and Susano'o's arm responded, smashing the clone away as the Odama Rasengan exploded and shook the entire fortress, gaining the attention of the other Kages.

Naruto, his first use of Sage Mode running out as the smoke began clearing, and Sasuke was still standing there and his Susano'o was damaged, but still there. He grimaced, and the Uchiha put on a sadistic face as muscle fiber began coiling all around his Susano'o, forming the same 'face' that Shi saw in the genjutsu...and then the skin appeared on the avatar of the God of Storm's form.

"You lose, Naruto," Sasuke said with an evil grin.

With that, Sasuke launched two incredibly fast arrows at Naruto who barely crossed his fingers in time to make a shield out of clones. The wall of clones took the attack as Naruto began running, Fukasaku and Shima entering the battle at that moment. The Toad Sage's cheeks swelled, and the elder male toad blew out a blast of oil before doing the seals for a Futon, adding the wind to the oil as the elder female toad blew out a stream of fire.

"Senpo: Goemon (Sage Art: Goemon)!" Fukasaku and Shima yelled, creating a massive wave of burning oil and sending it at Sasuke in his Susano'o.

The Uchiha grimaced as the boiling oil crashed into his Susano'o, the shield keeping him from being burned but he was completely submerged. He gave a roar of anger, thrusting his arms forward and the Susano'o replicated what he did, dispersing the giant wave as he took aim at the two Sages.

Firing two arrows at both small toads, they leaped out of the way, using their superior agility to avoid Susano'o arrows. Naruto felt one of his clones bursting away and he reentered Sage Mode and he took off running at Sasuke. The Uchiha took aim and fired again, and the Hokage's eyes widened, and he moved to the left, but the arrow _still_ grazed his side. Even in Sage Mode, the arrow drew blood and he skidded away, clutching his side.

"The next is going through your head," Sasuke said, aiming at Naruto as Fukasaku and Shima then leaped into the air.

"Senpo: Kawazu Naki (Sage Art: Frog Call)!" both Toad Sages yelled, sending a pulsing wave of chakra in sound waves at the Uchiha.

Sasuke attempted to fire, but he couldn't move an inch and his eyes widened in rage. Naruto managed to get out of the way, and the Uchiha gave another roar in anger and frustration, and a massive cloak of armor then came up...and wrapped around his Susano'o, fully completing it.

Naruto created two Kage Bushins again, and both dropped smoke bombs down to shield themselves from Sasuke's eyes. The Uchiha's new crossbow aimed and there was then the sound of a whirling, buzz-saw like thing. The smoke cleared away and there was Naruto with his two clones, holding the Futon: Rasenshuriken over his head.

_What the hell is that attack?_ Sasuke thought as blood dripped from his eye, as well as blood dripping from Naruto's side. _It doesn't matter, I'll kill him with my this last shot!_

Two more arrows were loaded in the now fully armored Susano'o's crossbow, and Naruto took a deep breath. The Rasenshuriken spun over his head faster, and he took a step forward. The two attacks were insanely fast...this would determine which was faster.

Just as Sasuke set one arrow flying, Naruto threw the Rasenshuriken. The rapidly spinning attack sounded like a buzz-saw on steroids as it flew through the air and hit the Susano'o just as it fired. The impact of the attack disrupted Sasuke's aim, sending the arrow flying into the ceiling. The armor...began cracking...as the Rasenshuriken continued to bore into it...and then...

Like a panel of glass, it shattered into a million pieces and the high spinning Rasenshuriken flew past and out of the fortress, crashing into one of the Wolf Maw peaks and cutting it in half before exploding a full second later! Sasuke groaned in pain as his Susano'o crashed away. Naruto was back in his normal form, panting as his former rival managed to create another Chidori.

Naruto created a clone, forming the Futon: Rasengan and the two fighters charged, Chidori impacting Futon: Rasengan. Ultimately, the Futon: Rasengan won the clash, dispelling the Uchiha's Chidori and badly slashing up his arm as the attack exploded, sending him spiraling back.

By now, Onoki, Akatsuchi, Kurotsuchi, Mei, Ao, and Chojuro had reached where the battle was finishing up and witnessed Sasuke crashing into the wall, blacking out after coughing up blood. Naruto panted, landing on his feet and then he dropped to his knees, before looking at the Uchiha resolutely.

"I've...won Sasuke..." Naruto said, panting and he looked at A. "He'll rot...in the prison in..."

"I think not," a new voice said as a spiral mask appeared out of a vacuum, wearing an Akatsuki robe and standing near Sasuke. "Sorry, I still have uses for Sasuke, Naruto..."

Standing before the assembled Kages and their bodyguards...was Uchiha Madara. Leader of Akatsuki and number one criminal on the planet. His Sharingan eye seemed to 'smile' at the people gathered.

"Now lets have a chat, shall we?"

_To be continued..._

**Author's Notes:**  
Whew! What a chapter huh? Sorry it took so long to finish fully; I had a lot of computer problems and such. This chapter was fun to write since I wanted to show Naruto vs. Sasuke after the Pain arc for so long. Sasuke's rage and his 'supposed' inferiority to Naruto made him fully evolve his Susano'o to that of what we saw in the manga before it fizzled out against Kakashi after his vision failed. I wanted to show that Naruto and Sasuke were more or less equal, but Naruto had the advantage of Sage Mode and was _slightly_ stronger. Please, tell me what you think.

Stats for the characters:

Naruto:  
Nin: 5 (+1)  
Tai: 4.5 (+1)  
Gen: 3 (+1)  
Int: 4.5 (+1.5)  
Str: 5 (+1.5)  
Spe: 4.5 (+1)  
Sta: 5 (+0)  
Sea: 2.5 (+1)  
Total: 34 (from 26 from the Third Databook)

Sakura:  
Nin: 3.5 (+0.5)  
Tai: 4 (+1)  
Gen: 4 (+0.5)  
Int: 4 (+0)  
Str: 5 (+2)  
Spe: 3 (+0.5)  
Sta: 3 (+1)  
Sea: 4 (+0.5)  
Total: 30.5 (from 26 from the Third Databook)

Sasuke:  
Nin: 5 (+0)  
Tai: 4 (+0.5)  
Gen: 4.5 (+0.5)  
Int: 3.5 (+0)  
Str: 3.5 (+0)  
Spe: 4.5 (+0)  
Sta: 4 (+0.5)  
Sea: 4.5 (+0.5)  
Total: 33.5 (from 31.5 from the Third Databook)

Hinata:  
Nin: 3.5 (+0.5)  
Tai: 4.5 (+1)  
Gen: 3.5 (+1)  
Int: 4 (+0.5)  
Str: 2 (+0.5)  
Spe: 3 (+1)  
Sta: 3 (+1.5)  
Sea: 3 (+0)  
Total: 26.5 (from 21.5 from the Third Databook)

Kiba:  
Nin: 4.5 (+1)  
Tai: 4 (+1)  
Gen: 2 (+0)  
Int: 2.5 (+0.5)  
Str: 3.5 (+0.5)  
Spe: 5 (+0.5)  
Sta: 3 (+0.5)  
Sea: 1.5 (+0)  
Total: 26 (from 22 from the Third Databook)

Shino:  
Nin: 5 (+1)  
Tai: 2 (+0.5)  
Gen: 2.5 (+0.5)  
Int: 5 (+1)  
Str: 2 (+0.5)  
Spe: 3 (+0)  
Sta: 3 (+0)  
Sea: 2 (+0.5)  
Total: 24.5 (from 21 from the Third Databook)

Shikamaru:  
Nin 4.5 (+1)  
Tai: 3 (+1)  
Gen: 3.5 (+0.5)  
Int: 5 (+0)  
Str: 2.5 (+0.5)  
Spe: 3.5 (+1)  
Sta: 3 (+0)  
Sea: 3 (+0)  
Total: 28 (from 24 from the Third Databook)

Choji:  
Nin: 4 (+0.5)  
Tai: 4.5 (+1.5)  
Gen: 2 (+1)  
Int: 3 (+1)  
Str: 5 (+0.5)  
Spe: 3.5 (+1.5)  
Sta: 4 (+0.5)  
Sea: 1.5 (+0.5)  
Total: 27.5 (From 20.5 from Third Databook)

Ino:  
Nin: 4 (+0.5)  
Tai: 3 (+1.5)  
Gen: 3 (+0)  
Int: 3 (+0)  
Str: 3 (+0.5)  
Spe: 3 (+0.5)  
Sta: 3 (+0.5)  
Sea: 2.5 (+0)  
Total: 24.5 (From 21 from Third Databook)

Neji:  
Nin: 4.5 (+0.5)  
Tai: 5 (+0.5)  
Gen: 3.5 (+1.5)  
Int: 4 (+1)  
Str: 2.5 (+0)  
Spe: 4.5 (+0)  
Sta: 4 (+0.5)  
Sea: 3.5 (+0.5)  
Total: 31 (From 27 from Third Databook)

Rock Lee:  
Nin: 0.5 (+0)  
Tai: 5 (+0)  
Gen: 1 (+0)  
Int: 3 (+1)  
Str: 5 (+0.5)  
Spe: 5 (+0.5)  
Sta: 5 (+1.5)  
Sea: 1 (+0)  
Total: 25.5 (Would be higher if he could use Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, from 22 in the Third Databook)

Tenten:  
Nin: 4 (+1)  
Tai: 4 (+0.5)  
Gen: 2 (+0.5)  
Int: 3.5 (+0)  
Str: 2 (+0.5)  
Spe: 3.5 (+0)  
Sta: 2.5 (+0.5)  
Sea: 2 (+0)  
Total: 23.5 (From 20.5 from Third Databook)

Sai:  
Nin: 4.5 (+0.5)  
Tai: 3.5 (+0)  
Gen: 3 (+0)  
Int: 4 (+1)  
Str: 3 (+0)  
Spe: 4 (+1)  
Sta: 3.5 (+0.5)  
Sea: 4 (+0)  
Total: 29.5 (From 27.5 from Third Databook)

Jugo:  
Nin: 4.5  
Tai: 4.5  
Gen: 1  
Int: 2  
Str: 5  
Spe: 4.5  
Sta: 5  
Sea: 0.5  
Total: 27

Suigetsu:  
Nin: 4.5  
Tai: 4.5  
Gen: 2  
Int: 2  
Str: 4.5  
Spe: 4.5  
Sta: 4.5  
Sea: 2  
Total: 28.5

Karin:  
Nin: 3  
Tai: 1.5  
Gen: 4.5  
Int: 5  
Str: 1  
Spe: 3  
Sta: 2.5  
Sea: 4  
Total: 24.5

A (The Raikage):  
Nin: 5  
Tai: 5  
Gen: 3.5  
Int: 3  
Str: 5  
Spe: 5  
Sta: 5  
Sea: 3.5  
Total: 35

Darui:  
Nin: 5  
Tai: 4  
Gen: 3  
Int: 4  
Str: 4.5  
Spe: 4.5  
Sta: 3.5  
Sea: 4  
Total: 32.5

Shi:  
Nin: 3  
Tai: 3.5  
Gen: 5  
Int: 4  
Str: 3  
Spe: 3  
Sta: 3.5  
Sea: 4.5  
Total: 29.5

Terumi Mei (Mizukage)  
Nin: 5  
Tai: 4  
Gen: 4  
Int: 4  
Str: 4  
Spe: 4  
Sta: 5  
Sea: 5  
Total: 35

Ao:  
Nin: 4.5  
Tai: 4.5  
Gen: 5  
Int: 5  
Str: 3.5  
Spe: 4  
Sta: 3.5  
Sea: 3  
Total: 33

Chojuro  
Nin: 3.5  
Tai: 4.5  
Gen: 2.5  
Int: 3  
Str: 4.5  
Spe: 4  
Sta: 3.5  
Sea: 2.5  
Total: 28

Onoki:  
Nin: 5  
Tai: 3  
Gen: 5  
Int: 5  
Str: 3  
Spe: 2.5  
Sta: 2.5  
Sea: 5  
Total: 31

Akatsuchi:  
Nin: 3  
Tai: 4.5  
Gen: 2.5  
Int: 3  
Str: 5  
Spe: 3  
Sta: 4  
Sea: 1.5  
Total: 26.5

Kurotsuchi:  
Nin: 4  
Tai: 4  
Gen: 4  
Int: 4.5  
Str: 3  
Spe: 4  
Sta: 3  
Sea: 3  
Total: 29.5

Gaara:  
Nin: 5 (+0)  
Tai: 3.5 (+1.5)  
Gen: 4.5 (+1)  
Int: 4 (+0.5)  
Str: 3 (+0.5)  
Spe: 4 (+1)  
Sta: 5 (+0)  
Sea: 5 (+1)  
Total: 34 (From 29 from the Third Databook)

Temari:  
Nin: 5 (+1)  
Tai: 3 (+0.5)  
Gen: 2 (+0.5)  
Int: 5 (+1)  
Str: 4 (+0.5)  
Spe: 3 (+0)  
Sta: 3 (+0)  
Sea: 3 (+0)  
Total: 28 (From 24.5 from the Third Databook)

Kankuro:  
Nin: 4.5 (+0.5)  
Tai: 3.5 (+0.5)  
Gen: 2 (+0)  
Int: 4 (+0.5)  
Str: 3.5 (+0)  
Spe: 3.5 (+1)  
Sta: 4.5 (+0.5)  
Sea: 4 (+0)  
Total: 29.5 (From 26.5 from the Third Databook)

Killer Bee:  
Nin: 5  
Tai: 5  
Gen: 3.5  
Int: 3.5  
Str: 5  
Spe: 5  
Sta: 5  
Sea: 3  
Total: 35

Nagato:  
Nin: 5  
Tai: 5  
Gen: 4.5  
Int: 4.5  
Str: 5  
Spe: 5  
Sta: 5  
Sea: 5  
Total: 39

Konan:  
Nin: 5  
Tai: 4  
Gen: 3.5  
Int: 4.5  
Str: 3  
Spe: 4.5  
Sta: 5  
Sea: 4.5  
Total: 34 (editted due to recent manga chapter)

Madara:  
Nin: 5  
Tai: 3.5  
Gen: 4.5  
Int: 5  
Str: 3.5  
Spe: 4.5  
Sta: 4  
Sea: 5  
Total: 35 (latest chapters brought down him)

Yagura (Fourth Mizukage, Jinchuuriki):  
Nin: 5  
Tai: 4.5  
Gen: 2  
Int: 4  
Str: 5  
Spe: 4.5  
Sta: 5  
Sea: 3  
Total: 33

Hashirama:  
Nin: 5  
Tai: 4.5  
Gen: 4.5  
Int: 5  
Str: 4.5  
Spe: 4.5  
Sta: 4.5  
Sea: 5  
Total: 37.5

Minato:  
Nin: 5  
Tai: 5  
Gen: 4.5  
Int: 5  
Str: 4.5  
Spe: 5  
Sta: 4.5  
Sea: 5  
Total: 38.5

Kabuchimaru:  
Nin: 5  
Tai: 3.5  
Gen: 5  
Int: 5  
Str: 3  
Spe: 4.5  
Sta: 4  
Sea: 5  
Total: 35 (equal to Orochimaru now)

Kushina:  
Nin: 5  
Tai: 4.5  
Gen: 2  
Int: 4  
Str: 5  
Spe: 4.5  
Sta: 5  
Sea: 5  
Total: 35


	5. Fourth Shinobi World War Declared!

Chapter 5: Fourth Shinobi World War Declared! Birth of the Shinobi Alliance!  
**Konoha**  
While the attack from Sasuke happened in Iron Country, in Konoha several things have been happening. One of the things is Danzo has decided to move his base of operations out of Konoha so he could start biding his time until Naruto's inevitable failure at the Summit. For now, Danzo would leave Konoha in the young Hokage's untested hands, knowing that the Daimyo would make the _right_ decision in the future. The journey to the new base would take several days due to it covering the roughest terrain in Fire Country, but it would be worth it. Little did he know he was being watched, and not by a Konoha shinobi.

_**Madara will be very interested in this development...**_ Zetsu's black half thought, poking out of a tree, using his Kagerō (Mayfly) ability to keep watch over the ROOT leader. _**Better tell him soon...**_

At the same time, Sakura was helping Shizune in taking care of Tsunade. She was remembering what she did two days ago after things had settled down between those two Kumo Ninja and herself, Sai, and Hinata.

_Was it right...to tell those Kumo ninja about Sasuke...shouldn't I have asked for more information myself...?_ Sakura thought, dabbing a wet cloth on Tsunade's wrinkled forehead.

On the former Hokage's forehead, a purple diamond outline had appeared and was slowly being filled in by more purple color, at the very bottom of it. This was a good sign, it would mean that she was gathering chakra to her forehead again in the Ying Seal, for the Sōzō Saisei (Creation Rebirth). Once the seal was filled, Shizune presumed that Tsunade would reawaken.

She breathed out as the flap of the tent opened, revealing Shikamaru. "Shikamaru?"

"Hey Sakura, gathering the rest of the group...all of us need to talk."

Sakura blinked. "Alright, where?"

"At the lumber piles where the dango shop used to be," Shikamaru said and Sakura nodded.

"Alright," Sakura said, following him.

Shortly, they had gathered with the other Rookies and Team Gai. Sai was also invited to come and Hinata looked over to Shikamaru, who took a deep breath through his nose.

"I'm sure you've all heard the little skirmish that Sakura, Hinata, and Sai had with two of the Kumo Ninja that had entered the village," Shikamaru started and everyone nodded slowly. "Then you know what they were asking about, correct?"

"Information about Sasuke-kun, correct?" Ino asked and Shikamaru nodded. "Why were they asking about that?"

"Sasuke's became an international criminal now, that's why," Shikamaru said, breathing out. "He invaded the Land of Lightning's borders and attacked one of their best shinobi. Not only that...he's part of Akatsuki now."

"What? That doesn't make any sense!" Kiba yelled, and Akamaru, his large white ninja dog barked in agreement. "Why the hell would that idiot join the same organization that his brother was in?"

"Maybe someone influenced Sasuke to join after he killed Itachi," Shino said calmly, pushing up his dark glasses. "It is still troublesome."

"W-We did fight that Tobi Akatsuki Member...maybe he had something to do with Sasuke's joining of Akatsuki," Hinata said and the genius Nara nodded.

"Whatever the reason...his crimes cannot be ignored anymore," Shikamaru said, looking at his friends and teammates. "Due to Pain's invasion of Konoha, the village would never accept an Akatsuki back into its ranks. Not only that, if Konoha doesn't do anything...it could lead to war with Kumogakure."

"Shikamaru...what are you saying?" Tenten asked, shifting so the weapon scroll on her back wasn't pressing into her back.

"We have to take responsibility," Shikamaru said, closing his eyes. "Sasuke...we're going to have to hunt him down and kill him."

Ino's and Sakura's eyes widened. "S-Shikamaru, you can't be serious! You're joking right?" Ino asked, her eyes wide.

"Ino...I think you know perfectly by now when Shikamaru is serious," Choji said, the large Akimichi closing his eyes. "...I agree."

"I do as well," Shino said, looking at the others. "Sasuke has crossed the line in which there is no coming back."

Sakura breathed in as the rest of her friends began agreeing about how to deal with Sasuke. After the conversation, they all looked at her. She gave a small gulp when they focused on her.

"...yes...?"

"Sakura...what do you think? Sasuke was your teammate..." Ino asked, being one of the few who wasn't agreeing with the decision.

Sakura took a deep breath. "...if we reached Sasuke before he fought Itachi...I'd agree...but now...?" she closed her eyes, hoping she'd make the right decision. "...I agree...Sasuke's threatening the peace of the World...he has to be stopped."

Shikamaru nodded. "I see..." he closed his eyes. "Naruto's Hokage now...he has other things to worry about than Sasuke. _We_ have to deal with him, he's our responsibility."

The other members of the Konoha 11 all nodded in agreement, and Sakura breathed out. She hoped they were doing the right thing about this...

"...when Naruto returns...I'll tell him. He's my friend and teammate," Sakura said and Shikamaru nodded.

"Got it, Sakura," Shikamaru said and Sakura took a deep breath, and Hinata looked to her.

**Iron Country, Fortress of the Kage Summit**  
Right in front of all five Kages and their bodyguards was the shadow leader of Akatsuki, Uchiha Madara, who founded the organization with Nagato. In the opening of the spiral mask he was wearing was a single glowing Sharingan eye. He glanced down at Sasuke, and the other members of his team. Then he looked at Naruto, and behind his mask he smirked.

"Well it happened sooner than I expected, but you two _did_ end up fighting," Madara said, reaching down and lifting Sasuke's prone, unconscious form over his shoulder. The Uchiha's hand was bleeding a lot from the wounds inflicted by the Futon: Rasengan. "Tsk Sasuke, you got too overconfident."

"Get your hands off Sasuke you snake!" Naruto snarled, entering Sage Mode again almost instantly as the A's Raiton no Yoroi flared to life.

"I've worked a hard time to get Sasuke on my side, Naruto, so I think not," Madara said as he activated his jutsu, and Sasuke was sucked into his eye. "So close yet again, weren't you Naruto...?"

Naruto bore his teeth angrily, Kyubi chakra beginning to leek into his system. His whisker-marks became frayed as his eyes turned red, and a cat-like vertical slit appeared in the middle of the block-like toad eye that he had.

"Shut the hell up!" Naruto roared, leaping at Madara at a speed he didn't expect. He created a red-colored Rasengan, the size of a basketball, and slammed it through the shadow leader's body...but he passed right through. The second he did though he turned, and delivered a roundhouse kick to Madara's face.

Madara raised his arm to block, but it wasn't fast enough and the flat top of Naruto's foot smashed into the shadow leader's mask, making him fly back. Suddenly a massive of white appeared on the wall...it was Zetsu's white half, which cushioned the blow.

"You okay boss?" Zetsu asked as a crack vertically appeared on Madara's mask.

"Yes, yes Zetsu, I'm fine," Madara said. Behind his mask, his nose bleeding white blood though as did his mouth. "Naruto, Naruto, Naruto, you again show me why you messed up my plans. I'm beginning to see why Nagato sided with you in the end."

Naruto bore his teeth as hundreds of white Zetsu's began to drop from the ceiling and the floor like drops of water. They landed with a 'splash' then formed into their humanoid forms.

"So much for the greatness of the Kages," Zetsu said as white began to bubble up from Onoki's, Akatsuchi's, Mei's, Ao's, and Chojuro's bodies. It also tried to get through Gaara's shield, but was crushed by his sand. Neji was able to destroy the Zetsu forming on his back with a Chou Kaiten, and the ones forming on A were electrocuted by the Raiton no Yoroi. The one appearing on Naruto just turned to stone.

Madara walked over to Karin, who was being helped up by a weakened Jugo and Karin. "You three, take good care of Sasuke please," he said, sucking them into his dimension as his mask continued to crack. He then took a seat. "Shall we talk? I'm holding all the cards here."

Naruto growled as Kakashi, who had dealt with the Zetsu on him before he could be completely chakra drained walked over and put his hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, Naruto. He's baiting you."

Naruto nodded, taking a deep breath. "What did you do to Sasuke? What was all that crap he was spouting?"

"I'm just maturing the dark seed that Itachi planted in him," Madara said with a grin behind his mask. "All that hatred, its easy to manipulate. Orochimaru knew that too, the instant he corrupted Sasuke was the instant he'd become my subordinate. Orochimaru nurtured that festering hatred that Itachi planted, and I matured it and directed it to suit my own needs."

"So you lied to him to get him on your side?" Neji asked, keeping his Byakugan on Madara. He could see the man's face...it was very wrinkled around his eyes, both of his Sharingan eyes seemed to be permanently activated.

"Mixing a bunch of half-trues and lies is easy for me," Madara said with a grin. "Like the truth that the Uchiha were killed by Itachi to save Konoha and the rest of the world."

"What are you..."

"The Uchiha were going to start a civil war in Konoha, starting with several bombings since they saw themselves being 'denied' power," Madara said with a grin. "I had a hand in that. Like his youngest son, Fugaku was easy to manipulate." He folded his hands. "To make a long story short, Itachi was forced to chose between his clan and the Village. He chose the Village and took the Uchiha's sin onto himself to be clensed."

Onoki chuckled. "This is all very fascinating, Madara, if that's who you really are." The white Zetsu on his back turned to stone. "If you really are who you say you are, why are you going to these lengths. With your power, you should be able to do anything you want, bar invade a village."

"A yes, Onoki. I see you're still alive," Madara said. "The injuries that Hashirama gave me, as well as those that Namikaze Minato inflicted have practically crippled me. And my favorite pet is beyond my grasp at the moment."

Akatsuki's shadow leader looked at Naruto at that, who just narrowed his eyes at him. Madara smirked as his Zetsu army stood on guard, waiting for his command.

"The Five Great Nations of the world, give your Jinchuuriki to me. The Hachibi and the Kyubi are the only two I lack," Madara stated and A blinked.

"I thought you already had Killer Bee!"

"He escaped. Your brother is quite the remarkable ninja," Madara replied, crossing his arms. "Now, as I was saying, turn the Hachibi and Kyubi over to me, and we'll have no conflict."

"Why do you need the Bijuu anyway?" Mei demanded as she melted the Zetsu on her.

"Ah yes...the Bijuu. I am just going to combine all nine and recreate the Jyubi, the Ten Tailed Demon Beast that the Rikudou Sennin defeated nearly 3000 years ago," Madara said with a grin. "Its all a plan to become 'complete', if you will."

"Jyubi, Rikudou Sennin, those are just myths! Everyone knows that," Onoki said and he looked at Madara. "What is your real objective."

"I assure you, Tsuchikage, the Jyubi and Rikudou Sennin were quite real. The Rikudou Sennin...the strongest being to ever live on this planet, master of the Rinnegan," Madara said. "He left a tablet that could only be read, in the order of the stronger eyes, the Sharingan, Mangekyo Sharingan, and finally the Rinnegan could fully decode it." As his mask continued to crack, he looked at Onoki. "Fully decoded, I was able to finally start the Eye of the Moon Plan...with myself as the new Jyubi Jinchuuriki...I will cast an eternal Tsukuyomi over the planet and end all conflict, bringing peace..."

"And destroying free will in the process," Gaara snarled.

"Small price to..."

"Don't bullshit us," Naruto snarled. "You don't want peace, you just want domination Madara."

"Heh, true, true," Madara said and he folded his arms. "I have seven Bijuu under my control, as well as favors of many minor countries to pull on. If you refuse, this'll mean war."

"You won't get what you want, bastard," Naruto snarled, and the other Kages nodded in agreement.

"Very well then, then I declare the Fourth Shinobi World War! When we next meet, my honored Kages, it will be on the battlefield," Madara said and half his mask fell...showing the face of an old man...and then a huge spiral appeared and he vanished, and the white Zetsus were pulled away with him.

The Five Kages and their bodyguards stood there for a few minutes, digesting what happened. "We can't let Madara get away at what he wants," A said calmly, standing up fully as his Raiton no Yoroi faded.

"I hate to say it, but you're right Raikage-dono," Onoki said, crossing his arms. "Though what can be done about it?"

"I suggest we finalize the plans to make the alliance," Mifune's voice interjected as he walked down. "Madara made his plans clear, if any of the nations ever hope to survive, we need to ally."

The Kages nodded in agreement and Onoki then asked. "Then who should lead us?"

"Konoha," Mifune said without any hesitation. "As well as Hokage-dono. He's proven himself to me fully."

"I agree with Mifune-san's assessment," Mei said and Gaara nodded.

"Second," Gaara said and A looked at Naruto.

"I agree as well," A said and Naruto breathed out, closing his eyes.

"I...I'll do my best then...though I can't do it alone," Naruto said as Onoki harumphed.

"Youth these days...this Alliance won't last without people with experience in fighting Madara," Onoki said, and he looked at the young Hokage. "Let me make this clear, Hokage-dono, I don't like nor trust you. But you have experience fighting Akatsuki, as does your village being veterans in fighting them already. That said...I'll stand with you as will Iwagakure."

Naruto nodded, breathing out. "Very well...I swear then, I won't fail you then..." he then put his hands to his stomach. _I need to master the Kyuubi then for my next battle with Sasuke...as well as to beat Madara. Time to master 'that Jutsu'..._  
-

-  
**Iron Country Forests**  
As the meeting of the Five Kages concluded, deep in the snow covered forests of Iron Country, the sound of deep singing was heard. As well as the sound of a growling bear. A third voice, which spoke in rhymes was also heard. In a clearing, there stood Kumogakure's remaining Jinchuuriki, brother of the Raikage, Killer Bee. He was writing notes into a notebook as he listened to his teacher, an middle age man who wore his hair in a large puffy top knot, and wore a white hamaka over a mesh shirt, and black pants.

"Enka is about passion! You must have passion in every word you make, Killer Bee!"

"Right, Sabu-sensei!"

"Now, give it a try!"

Killer Bee took a deep breath, trying to find a beat. "...Give a caalllll to the waalll...beat the heat with this seat..."

"No, no all wrong! You don't need to rhyme these out," Sabu said as Ponta began growling. The large Tanuki's ears fluttered and he sniffed the air, and he sat up, his large black with white striped tail wiggling. "Ponta, what's bothering ya...?"

Killer Bee looked up as a light blue colored, shark-like man, with six gills on his face and strange beady eyes arrived. He had a Kirigakure headband on his forehead, keeping his aqua blue hair up. He was carrying a large sword, wrapped up with bandages.

"Hm, didn't expect the Hachibi to be here of all places, but my Samehada likes its chakra..." the man said, showing sharp teeth to Killer Bee and Sabu. Killer Bee looked and saw the robe he was wearing...it was an Akatsuki robe.

Ponta growled, charging the shark-man who grinned. The massive tanuki rose his paw, and went to swipe the man with its claws. He grabbed its paw with ease, and then slammed his sword into the giant tanuki's jaw, making him crash down, stunned. The blow was so great, the bandages wrapped around the sword ripped, revealing scales.

"For such a big bear, you go down easy," the shark-man said with a grin. "Name's Hoshigaki Kisame, I'm taking you in, Hachibi."

"Ponta's not a bear, he's a tanuki!" Sabu yelled, yanking off his axe and he put the back of the blade on his back. "Prepare to feel my _**passion!**_"

Kisame gave a viscous smirk as the Enka Ninja charged him, and slashed his heavy axe at the former Seven Swordsman. The Akatsuki slammed his sword into the ground to block it, and as he was about to retaliate, Killer Bee charged up his pencil with Raiton Chakra, and threw it right at Kisame's head. The swordsman's eye widened, seeing the supercharged pencil flying at him and he dodged, throwing his head down as he leaped into the air and smashed his heel into Sabu's jaw, sending the Enka Ninja crashing into Ponta. Both the enka ninja and his tanuki were sent crashing through the forest, knocked out cold.

Kisame yanked out his Samehada to block a double slash from above from Killer Bee. The sound of clashing metal was heard through the forest as the two engaged in an intense sword duel. The Hachibi Jinchuuriki had switched to two sword style since he lacked his other five swords. Kisame gave a laugh, blocking and dodging each of Killer Bee's slashes and stabs.

_This guys good and his strength's incredible!_ Killer Bee thought as he landed and crossed his swords to block an overhead slash from Samehada, and the ground cracked underneath his feet. _But I'm better, motherfucka!_

Letting Samehada's weight win, Bee skid back before spinning around and slamming his foot into Kisame's face, sending the Seven Swordsman skidding back. Lightning chakra charged into Killer Bee's Stinger Swords, and he leapt into the air, spinning like a buzz saw, his entire body being covered in the Raiton no Yoroi like his brother's.

"Raiton no Yoroi: Raiton Bazu Nokogiri (Lightning Release Armor: Lightning Buzz Saw)!" Bee yelled, closing in on Kisame.

The Seven Swordsman grinned, and before the attacks hit, he performed a horizontal slash...and Killer Bee's Raiton no Yoroi faded, as did the lightning around his swords. The Stingers still dug into his shoulders, but they were shallow wounds. Bee blinked when that happened, wondering what was up.

"Heh, pretty impressive attack Hachibi," Kisame said with a grin, Samehada quivering in delight at the chakra it just fed on.

_Did he eat my chakra?_ Killer Bee thought and his brown eyes glanced at Samehada. _Or did that...one way to test..._

Red chakra bubbled around Bee's body, forming four tails around him. The chakra was as hard as iron, and formed a shield similar to that what Naruto could make in his Jinchuuriki states. Around his head formed ethereal bull horns, as sharp as the sharpest sword.

"Headbutto (Headbutt)!" Bee yelled, throwing his head forward at insane speeds.

Kisame grinned maliciously, his sharp teeth showing in a feral grin as he moved his head to meet Bee's headbutt. Samehada then began eating the Hachibi's cloak around Killer Bee's body, taking the power out of his attack. So much chakra went into the chakra eating sword, it swelled and the exposed scales shivered and it sounded lie it went 'Gigigigi'...like it had a mouth.

"Strange sword, it must have been bored, eating Number Eight's chakra will give it a belly ache and then I'll gut you straight! Ya big stupid shark!"

"You definitely are smarter than you look, I see why you escaped Itachi's little brother. Samehada very much enjoys that calamari flavored chakra of yours," Kisame said with a polite grin. "I rarely see him get so excited over a meal, yes, you are worth shaving down to the bone."

"So the scary shark man treats his sword all sweet! Too bad you're both about to get beat!" Bee said in a wrap, leaping back and Kisame gave a wide grin, showing his extremely sharp teeth. "Check it, huh...?"

Samehada began shaking, and all of its scales slashed through the bandages wrapped around it. The massive amount of sharp scales kept quivering and the 'Gigigigigi' continued...and right at the top of the mouth. The mouth opened, and showed several sharp teeth and showing its tongue.

"I'll say it again, Hoshigaki Kisame's the name, remember it," Kisame said with a grin.

Bee gave a smirk, and he did two seals. "Raiton Bushin no Jutsu," he said with a grin, and in a few bolts of lightning, there were now several Killer Bee's in the forest. All of the Raiton Bushins grinned. Suddenly red chakra bubbled up all around them forming four tails. The real Killer Bee gave a smirk, sending another burst of Hachibi chakra into his own body, forming another four tails.

"Hohoho..." Kisame said with a grin. "Looks like Samehada's going to eat well today..."

-  
**Iron Country, Kage Summit Building**  
After the attack and the declaration of War, all five Kages and their bodyguards were now sitting down to finalize things in the Alliance. Naruto had reluctantly assumed the station of Commander in Chief, but he insisted that A, the Raikage, be his Second in Command due to him having more experience with this. The Kages were discussing who was most likely to join Akatsuki, as well as the remaining members.

"...he is called Zetsu, we saw one of his abilities during the attack," Kakashi stated, talking before the Kages. "He is Akatsuki's primary scout and Hunter Ninja."

"He also was assigned to take down Han, the Jinchuuriki of the Gobi," Onoki added, leaning forward.

"As far as we know, Hoshigaki Kisame is also alive, former partner to Uchiha Itachi," Naruto said, looking at Terumi Mei, the Mizukage. "Do you have any information or weaknesses that Kisame may have?"

"I don't, but Chojuro might," Mei said, looking over to the young swordsman. Chojuro gulped, but pushed his glasses up.

"My sensei would often talk about Hoshigaki Kisame and his sword, Samehada. Kisame was the strongest of all Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist, and his chakra levels could be comparable to the Sanbi, thus getting him the name of the Biju Without A Tail," Chojuro said, gripping his Hirameki. "Of all the swords, Samehada is the most...evil, all the swords have unique properties and they all chose their wielder, even Mamochi Zabuza's Decapitating Carving Knife has some sense of self. It makes Kisame virtually invincible, he can use it to slash visible chakra to add to his own reserves, sometimes even taking out jutsus. The only weakness I can think of is not using visible chakra in jutsus..."

"...when I was still a genin, three years ago, I experienced that ability myself," Naruto said, breathing in. "I tried to summon Kyuubi's chakra to help out Sasuke when he was my teammate at the time, but Kisame just dropped his sword...and the chakra was gone."

They all nodded and the Kages looked to Onoki. "Do you have any information of Madara that we can use?"

"Anything I can tell you youngin's is in the history books. I have no experience with the ability he's using now," Onoki said, leaning back.

"If that's it for current members of Akatsuki, we should discuss potential members so we can eliminate them before they can even join Akatsuki," Mei said, folding her hands. "I'll start, two months ago, one of our strongest Jonin betrayed us. His name is Tokia Jinchu. He's known as the Butcher of the Shadows, and is known for his Darkness Ninjutsu where he can literally blend with any shadow and strike from there."

The other Kages nodded and Gaara leaned forward. "In the confusion of my kidnapping, there was a jailbreak in our primary prison. We recaptured most of the prisoners except for one, Haido the Vampire. When I was six years old, he was arrested by my father personally after murdering two of our ANBU Captains and their entire squads after he had used his kekki genkai on three of Sunagakure's Councilors. His technique...he merely needs to touch you to pull all the water out of your body. He then uses that water to use Suitons, even in the dryness of the desert, and he's a master of Futon Ninjutsu."

"For Iwagakure, we have two likely candidates for Akatsuki," Onoki said. "The twins, Uma and Teru. They have the unique two unique Kekki Genkais, one which links their minds, similar to the Yamanaka Clan techniques. What one twin sees, the other see's. They used their abilities well in service for Iwa, until they decided they wanted more power. They used their second Kekki Genkai to turn Iwa's head Jonin into stone, similar to my Dust Release, and then killed three ANBU squads before escaping. No one could lay their hands on them."

A took a deep sigh. "One of our best Shinobi, from the Hikoro Clan had escaped from Kumogakure shortly after I called this meeting. His name is Hikoro Hiro, and I was grooming him to be my successor. I didn't know what his true nature was until it was too late. He...raped two kunoichi who were pursuing them and...gutted them. By time time the ANBU arrived on the scene...he was gone and all we had was his handiwork. His brother, Kuro, had no idea he was capable of this, and his girlfriend, Biri, chose not to betray Kumo and nearly lost her life," he closed his eyes. "With my brother's capture, I neglected to follow up on Hiro's trail..."

"We'll correct that oversight, Raikage-dono," Gaara said. "I propose we unify our Intelligence Corps so we can send a unified front against these missing ninja. With luck we'll either capture or execute them before they join Akatsuki if that's their plan."

"I second the proposal," Naruto said and Mei nodded.

"Thirded," Mei said, looking at Ao. "This is Ao's area of expertise, I propose we make him leader of the unified intelligence corp."

"Agreed," A said, looking at Ao. "He is the best man for the job."

"...for the final part of business," Naruto started, getting everyone's attention. "Being one of the remaining two Jinchuuriki, I feel like I need to be hidden...at least until the time I can control the Kyubi's power. I'm more of a liability without the Kyubi being under my control."

"When we find Killer Bee, Hokage-dono, we'll send you both to the island where Bee learned to master the Hachibi...after I give him a stern lecture and my Iron Claw, that is," A said and Naruto nodded.

"Thank you. Contact Konoha after Killer Bee is found so we can finalize the plans," Naruto said and the Raikage nodded. "If there's no more business, I declare this meeting adjourned so we can all prepare our villages for War."

The Kages all gave a firm nod at that, and got up to disperse. As soon as Naruto got out of the main hall, he began breathing rapidly as he attempted to calm himself. He closed his eyes, breathing in through his nose.

"Are you alright, Naruto?" Kakashi asked and Naruto nodded, breathing out.

"Just trying to deal with my anxiety..." Naruto said, and he closed his eyes, putting his hand to his stomach. "...I'm ready to control this power...I'll need it to beat Sasuke the second time and Madara..." _As well as complete __that__ jutsu, dad..._

Kakashi nodded as Neji walked over. "Are you ready to leave, Hokage-sama?"

"Yeah, Neji. Lets get going, got some preparations to make," Naruto said as the three Konoha Ninja walked to the exit.

**Iron Country, Kisame vs Killer Bee Battlefield**  
Kisame was grinning, holding Samehada horizontally to the ground as the sword's mouth opened, making the creeping 'Gigigigigi' noise. All the Killer Bee Raiton Clones had the Four Tailed Cloak over them, and were holding their swords up.

"As expected from a perfect Jinchuuriki," Kisame said with a grin, looking at all of the clones. "The Kyubi Kid is a Clone Master, but I guess he's not the only one..."

"Cut your talking so we can go walking! I'm gonna beat you down to the ground and bury you in a mound!" All the Killer Bee's said at the same time, and they all attacked at once.

Kisame grinned, running forward to meet the charge. He swung Samehada which first ate the Hachibi Cloaks over the nearest clones, before eating the Raiton Clones themselves. He dodged and ducked each Lariatto (Lariat), Headbutto (Headbutt), red chakra arms, all the while having Samehada eat the cloaks and clones.

Killer Bee himself jumped forward, 'horns' appearing on his bicep and shoulder. "LARIATTO (Lariat)!" he yelled, preparing to run Kisame through. Kisame grinned, sidestepping the attack and he smashed Samehada down, eating Killer Bee's cloak. However, he was left open for two heavy punches by Killer Bee's remaining clones, which sent him flying back while still holding his sword.

Samehada however acted as an anchor, and made its scales grow and impaled and ate all the chakra in the clones. Killer Bee jumped back, barely avoiding the now nearly engorged Samehada.

"Hungry little sword," Killer Bee said with a grin, looking at Kisame. "Looks like I'm gonna have to take it up a notch, those were my last clones..."

Kisame grinned. "Please do, this is getting fun..."

-  
**Land of Iron, Forests**  
Killer Bee gave a confident grin at Kisame, who hefted his enlarged sword up to prepare. He couldn't risk fully transforming just _yet_, it might give him away and he might hurt Sabu and Ponta where ever they landed. In his mind, the Hachibi looked at his mental form.

"**So are you going to fully transform Bee? It might be smart...**"

_Nah, not yet. Going to use Version Two, so be ready Number Eight!_

Killer Bee pushed his arms back as he gave a yell. Red bubbles then burst off his body, forming into seven tails and bull horns. And then the transparent chakra filled completely with a translucent red color with little red 'flames' of chakra wafting up the cloak. Killer Bee's face was covered by the red chakra, and there were two glowing white eyes and a mouth with jagged teeth on the chakra.

"_**OH YEAH! THIS FEELS GOOD IN THE HOOD!**_" Killer Bee said, the ground cracking under him as the snow evaporated all around him from the extreme heat that his new chakra cloak was generating.

_Interesting...he's compressed the power of a Bijuu into human form..._ Kisame remembered reports Zetsu gathered from the battle between Orochimaru and Naruto nearly a year ago, as well as between Naruto and Pain. _Unlike the Kyubi kid though, it seems like this guy can keep his mind...that makes him ten times dangerous..._ A toothy grin appeared on Kisame's face. "Perfect."

"**Lets see how much your hungry little sword can take before I break it!**" Killer Bee said, his own toothy grin appearing in the chakra cloak.

Kisame charged Killer Bee, who smashed his hands into the ground and _ripped_ up a huge slab of earth and he swung it like a huge club at the Akatsuki Member. Kisame used Samehada to block, shattering the makeshift club as Killer Bee himself charged, launching a powerful punch at Kisame and making him fly back into and through several trees, further away from Sabu and Ponta. The Hachibi Jinchuuriki blurred, and then in vanished and its fists enlarged as he reappeared over the Akatsuki Member.

Bringing down the enlarged chakra hands in a hammer strike, Kisame used his enlarged Samehada to control his flight by smashing it into the ground like an anchor. He twisted, avoiding the fists as they struck the ground, causing a mini-earthquake and cratering the ground massively. Killer Bee's tails lashed out, acting like whips as they tried to strike the Akatsuki Member. Kisame gave a grin hefting Samehada up to drain each tail but the chakra acted on its own, barely avoiding the sword and smashing into Kisame's shoulder.

"Argh..." Kisame growled, being pushed back as Killer Bee made a flexing motion. Blood poured out of the swordsman's shoulder, but it began closing as he held onto Samehada.

A huge ox skull with two sharp horns appeared on Killer Bee's shoulder, as well as the spine. The ground cracked underneath him again as the snow evaporated all around him, creating the effect of a supercharged mist, filled completely with Hachibi Chakra. Kisame hefted his sword, seeing the ox skull through the wafting mist.

"**Chou Lariatto (Super Lariat)!**" Killer Bee yelled, taking off at Kisame at high speeds.

Kisame's eyes widened slightly and he brought Samehada up to block. The huge ox skull smashed into the sword, wrenching it from the Akatsuki Member's grasp and the rest of the skull smashed into his chest. Samehada managed to eat up most of the chakra, making Killer Bee revert to his first version state with only one tail. Kisame smashed into a nearby tree, and the tree collapsed as blood dripped out of his mouth.

_I can't believe I reverted to this version...hungry little sword..._

Kisame's entire chest had been blown away, exposing his ribs and collar bone. He chuckled, continuing to cough up blood as he put a hand to his wound and reached out.

"Heh...you got me Hachibi...but..." Kisame reached out, and Samehada flew into his hands. Despite being absolutely engorged by the Hachibi chakra, as well as its own injury, it still responded with speed to Kisame's commands. "This fight is just getting started..."

"What are you talking about, fool?" Killer Bee demanded as Kisame's mortal wound...began healing.

Fresh new blue flesh began covering Kisame's ribs as he regenerated from the Chou Lariatto. When he was fully healed, the Akatsuki Member gave a grin, and he slashed the air with his sword and rotated his shoulder. Giving Killer Bee a toothy grin, his face began to get more...shark-like.

"I'm the best Akatsuki member at taking their target alive," Kisame said with a wide grin, charging his chakra to his stomach to create a powerful Suiton. "My strength is equal to that of my opponent...and with Samehada I'll never lose stamina...thus making me the perfect weapon against _your kind_..."

Killer Bee frowned, and he entered Version 2 once more as Kisame's cheeks swelled. _**He's gonna use a Suiton...this guys chakra is so big he doesn't need a source!**_

"Suiton: Dai Bakusui Shoha (Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave)!" Kisame yelled, and he spat out a massive amount of water which blew Killer Bee back. The waves buffeted Killer Bee's Version 2 form until he was completely submerged.

_**What the...why couldn't I...**_ Killer Bee thought and he looked around as the massive amount of water...formed a huge dome!

He then shot to look at Kisame...who had now merged with Samehada. His neck had grown out a bit, and he now had six gills-three on each side. On his back was a large dorsal fin, and his elbows had grown flippers, and webbing was now connected his fingers and toes. Finally, he now had a tail, and looked incredibly more dangerous.

"**What the...? Is he really half-shark now...?**" Killer Bee asked aloud, having a bit trouble breathing while underwater. If he fully transformed, he would have the gills and the girth needed to survive here...but he couldn't risk it just yet. "**I guess I'm in your turf now...**"

"Here I come..." Kisame uttered, and in a massive amount of speed, he charged at Killer Bee in the water.

Killer Bee created another ox skull, and his tails burst backwards at the same time, propelling him at the same speed as Kisame. "**Chou Lariatto (Super Lariat)!**"

The two collided at insane speeds, the ox-skull smashing again into Kisame's body. However, this time, any wound that he got instantly regenerated and he drained Killer Bee's Version 2 cloak away and dove while the Jinchuuriki was caught in his elbow. He smashed Bee into the ground, drawing Killer Bee's blood for the first time when he spat out a copious amount.

In retaliation, Killer Bee's remaining tails turned into real tentacles, and he tossed Kisame away before assuming another Version 2 Cloak. The Jinchuuriki jumped up from the floor of the water prison, and fired a concentrated beam of chakra from his mouth. Kisame just swam around it, bobbing and weaving as Killer Bee continued to fire at him.

"Its useless Jinchuuriki!" Kisame yelled, avoiding the last chakra beam and he did several seals. "Suiton: Goshokuzame (Water Release: Five Feeding Sharks)!"

He extended his hand and several large sharks, made out of hardened and shaped water, swam at Killer Bee and sank their jaws into his chakra cloak. They dragged him down to the bottom of the prison and smashed him through several trees and then through a large rock. Killer Bee threw his arms out, smashing the water sharks apart...but they just reformed. Kisame then smashed his way through and slashed at the Jinchuuriki with his fins.

"**GA**AAH!" Killer Bee yelled, the air knocked out of his lungs again as his Version 2 cloak was eaten by Samehada which was in Kisame's body. "Damn it...this isn't getting no where! And I'm runnin' out of air!"

"Don't worry Hachibi, I won't kill you!" Kisame yelled, slamming into Killer Bee again and eating the remains of his chakra cloak before breaking off. "Though that doesn't mean I can't break a few of your bones!"

Killer Bee growled. "Okay...Number Eight, I think its time to come out!"

**Its about time Bee!** Hachibi yelled as a new chakra cloak burst from Killer Bee's body.

Kisame watched, and he blinked as the cloak receded as...Killer Bee's legs disappeared. Eight massive tentacles took its place as wave of bubbles came rising up, obscuring the Akatsuki Member's view. Kisame's jaw dropped as Killer Bee's chakra levels spiked, even though before they were almost completely drained, when the bubbles cleared...standing right before the Akatsuki Member was the Hachibi itself.

**Now you've brought out the bull you massive tool!** Killer Bee yelled, using the Hachibi's mouth. **Gonna stomp you into dust and break that annoying little sword!**

_Crap..._ Kisame thought as the Hachibi's tails pulsed, and then sent it barreling forward at the Akatsuki Member. _Fully transformed...I can't absorb his chakra like this! And that form gave him gills! Time to change tactics..._

Kisame dodged the Hachibi's massive hand as it tried to grab him and the tentacles shot out at him. The Akatsuki member bobbed and weaved, attempting to avoid all of the Hachibi's strikes, but the tails were incredibly fast. One smashed into his back, and he pushed upwards, cutting the tip off but was met by the Hachibi's fist. It sent him flying back and Killer Bee pushed the Hachibi Form forward in pursuit.

Kisame caught himself, growling, only to have one of Hachibi's horns smashing into his stomach. He coughed up blood and was sent flying upwards when Killer Bee shook the form's head. Kisame's wound closed and then he saw a massive amount of chakra gathering at the Hachibi's mouth, one of the Biju's strongest attacks-the Menacing Ball.

_This is a perfect chance as any...Samehada can absorb some of that, and it'll survive...time to go to plan B..._ Kisame thought as Hachibi gave a roar, and shot the massive blast right up at the Akatsuki Member.

The Menacing Ball crashed into Kisame as he cried out in pain, and then the projectile exploded, shattering the water prison and making it rain for kilometers around. The blast also cleared the clouds overhead which were bringing snow to the area. The Hachibi Form landed on the ground, creating a mini-earthquake as Killer Bee untransformed.

"Whew...that guy was tough..." Killer Bee said panting as Samehada spun in the air as it felt to the ground, landing blade first. "At least he's dead now...though I bet my chakra was detected...it was a fun vacation while it lasted..."

Samehada's hilt then reached out to him, and he blinked. It was making the same 'Gigigigigigi' sound it was before, and Killer Bee walked over as his brother, Shi, and Darui landed. The Raikage looked both relieved _and_ angry at the same time. Killer Bee grasped the hilt...and his chakra was replenished.

"Hard to miss a blast like that," Darui said, looking at Shi. "Though you were right in the direction to go..."

"Thanks Darui," Shi said as Killer Bee lifted Samehada.

"Heh...guess it..." Killer Bee started as A stormed over to his younger brother.

"BEE! YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED I'VE BEEN?" A demanded, grasping his brother's head with his right hand. "I SHOULD GIVE YOU AN IRON CLAW FOR THIS!"

Killer Bee began shaking in fear at his brother's anger. _E-E-Even his right hand is insanely strong!_

**Konohagakure, two days later**

Naruto's team was returning home, entering through the gates. The young Hokage looked around as a massive crowd gathered around him. He blinked, seeing people holding up banners of 'Welcome home Naruto!' 'Great job!' and other things.

"Welcome home, Hokage-sama!" the crowd cheered in unison, and Naruto blinked.

"Uh...thanks..." Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head. He looked over the crowd to see that a small section of Konoha had been rebuilt-where the old downtown used to be. At the center of it...was a new Hokage Tower, right at the base of the Monument.

Yamato came walking forward. "Got the Tower all finished, Naruto. Its ready for your inspection..."

"Thanks Yamato-taicho," Naruto said as he walked through the crowd. Sakura was grinning at her teammate, but she was breathing nervously...

_...I'll tell him when he gets settled..._ Sakura thought as she looked at Hinata, and then nudged her forward. "Go on...go talk to him. You've been waiting the longest out of all of us."

Hinata blushed. "T-Thanks Sakura-chan..."

She walked forward, looking at Naruto. She took several calming breaths, trying to get rid of her stammer. "Naruto-kun...uh...can I...uh accompany you to your office?"

Naruto smiled. "I'd...like that Hinata-chan, a lot."

Hinata nearly fainted at that and the crowd cheered again. Neji gave a smile at what his cousin did. Shikamaru glanced at Sakura, guessing she was going to use Hinata as a distraction so the issue about Sasuke wouldn't be pushed. He shook his head at that.

Shortly, Naruto was in his new office and he was looking around. Neji had gone to rest after the mission, but Kakashi and Hinata escorted him there. It was almost a carbon copy of Tsunade's and Hiruzen's old office, except well...new. There was even a similar desk there, as well as the same type of chair.

Kakashi smiled. "Well Naruto, you have time. Go on, its your chair now..."

"Thanks sensei," Naruto said, walking over to his new chair and he slowly pulled it out, before taking a seat behind the desk. "...wow...this is the first time...wow..."

"You...you look great there, Naruto-kun," Hinata said and Naruto smiled at her.

"Thanks..." he said, putting the Hokage hat down on the desk. "...alright...where to start first...?"

"I believe we have some financial reports to go over, as well as a message from the Daimyo arrived, and Tsunade-sama's medical status as well as others' statuses in the new hospital," Kakashi said after walking over to the desk and lifting up some of Naruto's new paperwork. "Hope you can handle this..."

"I think I'll need help, but I'll do my best!" Naruto said, punching his fists together. "Dattebayo, Time to start!"

Hinata smiled as she walked over. "I-I can give a little help if you want, Naruto-kun..."

"Thanks Hinata-chan!" Naruto said as Hinata came behind the desk and began helping.

Kakashi smiled, and he could almost see a mirror image of...Minato and Kushina at work where Naruto and Hinata were standing. His smiley eye grew, and he left the room. Even with the War declaration...the Copy Ninja didn't feel worried.

_The next generation's time has truly come..._ Kakashi thought.

_To Be Continued..._


	6. Preparations

Chapter 6: Preparations  
**Konohagakure**  
Since Naruto returned from the Kage Summit, getting Konoha named as the leader of the Shinobi Alliance and becoming the Supreme Commander of the Alliance, the young Hokage has been busy. With the help of Hinata and his clones, he was able to divide reconstruction and financial records and military records. He was also training in his spare time, but he didn't have a way to train with the Kyubi just yet. So he settled for extending his Sage Mode's time as well as decreasing the time it took him to enter it.

Also during this time, Danzo had left Konoha for his new secondary base so he'd be able to conduct his own assaults on Akatsuki without being held back by the Alliance. He had left in secret, only Koharu and Homura knew he departed, and they were sworn to secrecy.

In the training field, Naruto was meditating, his legs crossed. His eyes were closed and he was breathing out, staying perfectly still. Reddish orange pigmentation was appearing around his eyes, and when it was fully there, he opened them. Frog-like yellow pupils had replaced his blue eyes, signifying he was in Sage Mode. He then looked at the watch on his wrist.

"Brought the time down to change to two minutes," he said, standing up. "Now to see how long I can stay in it."

In another part of Konoha, where Naruto had fought Pain while in his Six-Tailed form, Hinata was searching for something. Her Byakugan was activated, and she was scanning the area.

There has to be some left of it here... Hinata thought, walking past the place where Naruto had been pinned down by Pain. Using her sight, she looked into the ground...and then began digging. She found several small shards of the green crystal that the young Hokage used to wear around his neck before the Kyubi shattered it. Carefully picking them up, she put them into a bag she brought with her. "Alright..."

When she had gathered all the shards, she looked at the place where she confessed her love for Naruto, and her cheeks blushed. Taking a final breath, she left the place, carrying the shards of the Hokage's Necklace with her.

In another part of the village, Sakura was furiously training, again trying to put off talking to Naruto about what the Konoha 11's decision about Sasuke. The medic threw punch after punch, trying to increase her speed in taijutsu. All around her was fallen trees and walls of rock.

Sakura panted, doing another group of seals and the ground turned into a river of mud in front of her. "Doton: Doryū Taiga (Earth Release: Earth Flow River)!"

Like the rapids near a waterfall, Sakura's Doryu Taiga rushed forward, slamming into multiple trees and falling them ease. Looking at her handiwork, she wiped her forehead, breathing in through her nose.

_I need to get stronger..._ Sakura thought, thinking of her teammates. _When Naruto returned, we were more or less equal...but now he's grown so strong in just a few months...and Sasuke-kun..._ she breathed out. _I need to catch up to them..._

She looked up with determination in her eyes. "I need to find Kakashi-sensei."

At the same time, Naruto was sitting perfectly still in his chair. His eyes were closed, and an invisible blue aura began to appear around his body. Wafts of Natural Energy entered his body as the reddish-orange pigment appeared over his eyes. He then opened them, showing the toad-like iris and rectangular pupil.

"Alright, now time to see if I can stay longer than five minutes in Sage Mode now..."

With that, he lifted his pen and began doing his paperwork. In the trashcan, there were several broken pencils and pens from when he attempted to write before. He was still having trouble controlling the vast amount of physical strength Sage Mode grants for everyday purposes.

The minutes ticked by, and Naruto was mentally counting down the time to five minutes as he continued writing down. He pursed his lips, lifting up one of the new papers-it was an economic report, and he began pound his head with his pencil as he thought. By the time he figured out the problem, three more minutes had past and he was six minutes into the entire Sage Mode duration.

Naruto looked at the clock to see that six minutes have past, and the pigmentation around his eyes faded and his pupils turned back to normal. A smirk appeared on his face, and he lifted his arms up.

"Now gotta try for seven minutes...then for ten..." Naruto said, throwing up his hands as Kakashi appeared in the window.

"Yo," Kakashi said and his former student grinned, and opened the window.

"Hey sensei, too cool to use the door or something?" Naruto asked jokingly, and he leaned back as Kakashi entered.

"Yeah, well this is the easier way to enter," Kakashi said with a grin as he entered the room. "I have something for you, Naruto."

"What is it, sensei?" Naruto asked, leaning back as the Copy-Ninja handed him a set of tri-bladed kunai. "What are these?"

"Those are the kunai the Yondaime Hokage used to use his Hirashin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique), as well as his Jikukan Kekkai (Space-Time Barrier)," Kakashi replied with a grin. "He even used them to deflect a blast from the Kyubi no Yoko itself during the attack on Konoha 16 years ago."

Naruto's eyes widened in awe, and he lifted one of the kunai. "...dad used these...?"

"Yes, they earned him the name of the Yellow Flash," Kakashi said, taking a seat. "I think he would want you to have them."

_These are the things that earned dad his nickname..._ Naruto thought in awe, looking at the tri-kunai in his hand. "Kakashi-sensei...has anyone else been able to figure out his jutsu?"

"No, Yondaime-sama was the only one who mastered the technique," Kakashi replied as Naruto nodded.

_...I need to learn how to do this technique then..._ Naruto thought, and a smirk appeared on his face. _Just watch dad, I'm gonna surpass you!_

**Akatsuki Hideout**  
Madara had returned to the hideout, and a vortex appeared over his visible eye. Sasuke, Karin, Jugo, and Suigetsu were disgorged from the dimension he sent them to, landing in a heap on the floor. Zetsu's venus-fly trap body emerged from the ground and opened nearby.

"Kisame's in position. **The plan went off without a hitch**," Zetsu's white and black halves reported.

"Excellent," Madara said, walking over to the table as Karin lifted her head. Madara discarded his damaged mask, reaching for another spiral one. "How is Sasuke's healing, girl?"

"...he's almost at full health," Karin reported as Sasuke looked up, pushing himself up to standing position.

_What was that last technique Naruto used...?_ Sasuke thought, thinking of that last clash as he walked to the wall.

_Naruto created two Kage Bushins again, and both dropped smoke bombs down to shield themselves from Sasuke's eyes. The Uchiha's new crossbow aimed and there was then the sound of a whirling, buzz-saw like thing. The smoke cleared away and there was Naruto with his two clones, holding the Futon: Rasenshuriken over his head._

What the hell is that attack? _Sasuke thought as blood dripped from his eye, as well as blood dripping from Naruto's side._ It doesn't matter, I'll kill him with my this last shot!

_Two more arrows were loaded in the now fully armored Susano'o's crossbow, and Naruto took a deep breath. The Rasenshuriken spun over his head faster, and he took a step forward. The two attacks were insanely fast...this would determine which was faster._

_Just as Sasuke set one arrow flying, Naruto threw the Rasenshuriken. The rapidly spinning attack sounded like a buzz-saw on steroids as it flew through the air and hit the Susano'o just as it fired. The impact of the attack disrupted Sasuke's aim, sending the arrow flying into the ceiling. The armor...began cracking...as the Rasenshuriken continued to bore into it...and then..._

_Like a panel of glass, it shattered into a million pieces and the high spinning Rasenshuriken flew past and out of the fortress, crashing into one of the Wolf Maw peaks and cutting it in half before exploding a full second later! Sasuke groaned in pain as his Susano'o crashed away. _

_It destroyed even Susano'o..._ Sasuke thought, pursing his lips in anger and he punched the wall next to him. _How could Naruto get that strong in such a short amount of time?_

He remembered, nearly five months prior when he and Naruto had met up again in Orochimaru's hideout. Naruto couldn't even fight him then, and he had suppressed a tiny fraction of the Kyubi's might which had leaked out of the seal.

"There is also something else," Zetsu said, and he turned to Sasuke. "**You're going to like this, Sasuke**."

"What is it?" Madara asked, securing his new mask.

"Danzo is on the move," Zetsu replied. "**And completely vulnerable as well, it looks like he's heading to a new ROOT base in the volcanic mountains of Southern Fire Country.**"

Sasuke looked up at that, as did Madara. The younger Uchiha's rage exploded at the mention of Danzo's name, and the Susano'o partially formed as his eyes shifted to the Mangekyo Sharingan.

"_**Where is he now?**_" Sasuke demanded, his teammates stepping back at his display of power.

"**He is currently nearly 100 kilometers away from Konoha,**" Zetsu's black half replied calmly. "Better wait until he's further away from the village if you want to attack, Sasuke."

"I agree," Madara said calmly as Sasuke's rage lessened. "You'll get your shot, Sasuke. Give it a few days, then Danzo will be far away from Konoha so you can attack with impunity."

Sasuke breathed in and the Susano'o faded around him, and his eyes shifted back to normal. "Very well..." he replied as he began walking. _This will give me some time to prepare then...I won't walk into another hornet's nest..._

Madara vanished from the room using his jutsu, reappearing at the Gedo Mazo statue. Seven Bijuu were sealed inside it, and he smirked. Squeezing his hand into a tight fist, his Sharingan morphed to the Eternal Mangekyo, and he partially synced with the statue. Its mouth slowly opened, and he stepped back as a massive blob of chakra shot out. Seven insect wing-like tails appeared, colored yellow orange. They connected-turning green to an insectoid thorax, where the color began to turn blue. Six blue legs-each with a scythe were attached to the thorax which had two spines on its shoulders, and three indentations on each side of the thorax. Its head had a mouth with several teeth, below which were its mandibles...and a massive horn on top of its head completed the demon's physique.

"First shots of the war will be mine...and I have the perfect target," Madara said, immediately controlling the third strongest Bijuu with his Sharingan...then sucking it in. "And the perfect target is..."

With that, he vanished into a vortex he created with the Nanabi.

**Fire Country, Northern Railway Hub**  
Ever since the Snow Country developed the steam engine nearly 40 years ago, and the subsequent invention of the locomotive, the Land of Fire had been the forerunner of steam technology. Dozens of train tracks all met at this hub in the northern railway station of the Fire Country. The smell of burning coal and wood was prevalent in the area, and all the trains that went to and from the hub went to most of the countries in the area. Thousands of workers toiled at the station, getting ready for the troop influx that the other countries would be sending for the war. Steam rose from the tracks and the idle trains in several tracks.

Just as the first locomotive began pulling up with hundreds of samurai from the Land of Iron, Madara arrived on the outskirts. He smirked behind his mask, seeing the pitiful defenses around the Hub. Only a few royal samurai from the Daimyo were stationed here, and there weren't even Konoha Shinobi stationed here yet.

"Perfect," Madara said and a massive vortex opened around his eye. The Nanabi no Kabutomushi surged out of the vortex, roaring, its six legs raising around its thorax. Akatsuki's leader still controlled it, and sent it charging at the railway hub.

The massive insect demon smashed into the incoming train from Iron Country, its scythe-like feet slashing through the rails. It smashed its horn through the ground, sending many people and equipment flying through the air. It gave a loud roar, sending a massive shockwave through the ground, ripping up the railways and destroying buildings. The shockwave even sent the parked trains flying high into the sky, and when they landed their boilers ruptured and exploded.

The swiftness of the attack didn't allow for any counter attack from few defenders around the hub. The Nanabi's mouth opened wide, and a green vortex of chakra appeared over its mandibles. It then fired the blast right at the large railway station where people were trying to flee from the Bijuu's rampage.

The Menacing Ball smashed into the ground, boring at the station before it exploded. A massive dome of energy engulfed the station and the surrounding areas, nearly half a mountain range would be completely annihilated if the Nanabi shot at one. The dome broke, and a secondary shockwave pulsed out of the center of the menacing ball, vaporizing and flattening everything for several kilometers. A large mushroom cloud raised from the area, and Madara smirked, completely unharmed due to his ability.

"Excellent. First blood is mine," he said, leaping at the Nanabi before sucking it back into his dimension, and he himself vanished.

All that was left of the station was a massive crater. It was like a meteor had struck...there was nothing left standing, and the rail lines were ripped apart for kilometers. Madara had struck a blow that would cripple troop movements for months...

**Konoha**  
Sakura was walking down the newly constructed streets of the village, trying to find Kakashi. Shikamaru was still shadowing her, pursing his lips. He continued to wonder _when_ Sakura would talk to Naruto about the Konoha 11's decision about Sasuke, thinking she was putting it off.

_Alright Sakura, are you going to have to make __**me**__ do it?_ Shikamaru thought.

Sakura looked up and she saw Kakashi walking idly down the street, reading one of his favorite perverted books. She took off running after him, a look of determination appearing on her face.

"Kakashi-sensei!" she called out and the Copy Ninja paused, and glanced back to wait for her to catch up.

"Sakura? What's up?" Kakashi asked her as she panted a little bit from her sprint.

"I...need you to train me..." Sakura said, rising up and Kakashi blinked. "I need to get stronger, Kakashi-sensei, and Shishiou is still unconscious...please...I need to get stronger..."

Kakashi sighed. "Sakura..."

"The only things you've taught me are the tree-walking and genjutsu kai, nothing else sensei," Sakura continued firmly, looking up at him. "And those were three entire years ago. You've ignored me in favor of Naruto and Sasuke...when I was a genin, you barely taught me anything other than those two things. No new jutsus, no combat skills and techniques, nothing."

Her teacher winced at that. "Well...you do have a poin..."

"Please sensei. I _need_ this. I won't be on the sidelines when Naruto faces Sasuke, I want to help," Sakura finished, and Kakashi breathed out.

"...very well Sakura," Kakashi said. _You didn't really need to lay it on that thick though..._ he thought and she looked at him directly in the eye. "I will start teaching you ninjutsu and help you improve your taijutsu."

Sakura's face brightened. "Thank you, sensei!"

Kakashi nodded. "You're welcome."

_To be continued..._

**Author's Notes:**  
Sorry for the extremely long wait this time. I've been in between computers (I just got a new one from a friend and am still waiting on the drivers for the new video card), so I haven't been able to figure out when and how to update. Thank you for your patience.

In other news, the first shot of the war has formally begun. I've always thought that the Naruto world _did_ at least have steam power, and the first movie confirms it in my eyes. Though its still a relatively new technology, not widely implemented through the Five Great Nations, basically only connecting the major cities, not the ninja villages.

Hope you liked that attack, plenty more are planned in the future.


	7. Jinchuriki Training!

Chapter 7: To Lightning Island, Jinchuriki Training!  
**Konohagakure**  
News had reached Konoha several days later that the Fire Country Northern Train Hub had been completely obliterated, leaving just a crater and twisted rail-lines. It would take months for the transportation to be restored, months that were needed to organize the non-shinobi troop lines. The Southern and Western Hubs were untouched, but the chain had been broken. The Daimyo had declared a state of emergency in the wake of the attack, and had agreed with Naruto about the Shinobi Alliance. The sheer power of one Biju was more than enough to convince him, as well as the other Daimyos of the Five Great Nations to ally.

In between the village reconstruction and the destruction of the Northern Train Hub, Naruto had called an emergency meeting of the Kages. It took a few days for the Kages to arrive, and when they did, the meeting went underway.

"Our total amount of soldiers that we have been able to get ready for the war is nearly 10,000," Mifune reported, leaning back in his seat. "And I'm organizing five more legions in case we need them."

"That gives us a total army of nearly 80,000," Naruto said, going over the organization.

The Allied Shinobi Forces would be mobilizing from Kumogakure, which had the largest army of all Five Great Ninja Villages. All of the villages had contributed to the army. Kumogakure had lent 20,000 ninja to the army, Iwagakure had lent 16,000, Konohagakure and Kirigakure both had lent 12,000, and Sunagakure had lent 10,000 ninja. All the Villages were keeping 5000 ninja in reserve at their home villages just in case they came under attack during the war.

"Killer Bee has already been sent to the hiding place, he thinks he's having a vacation," A said and Naruto nodded. "We're ready to send you there whenever you are read, Hokage-dono."

Naruto nodded. "I'm putting Kakashi Hatake in charge of the village while I'm away. Hopefully Tsunade-sama will awaken soon, we need her experience and abilities in this war."

Onoki huffed at that. "She'd probably call for the Hachibi and yourself to stay on the battlefield instead of doing the smart thing."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "She'd have a point, but that's not the issue here."

"If that's all," Gaara started, leaning back. "I believe we've finished for the day."

"I need to make sure my village is prepared for any assault," A said and all the other Kage's nodded.

"We'll reconvene at Kumo in five days. From there, I'll depart for this island afterwards," Naruto said and they all nodded.

All the other Kages nodded, and began departing. After they left, Naruto went to do a little more training before the day finished. He was still trying to figure out how to start training to control the Kyubi, but was getting nothing.

Just as he finished stretching, he disappeared in a puff of smoke. He came blinked...and landed on a table...that had many bug-related dishes on it. Shima came walking in.

"Oh! Naruto-chan, here for dinner?" Shima said happily and Naruto blinked.

"Uh..." he said as Shima helped him into his seat.

"I insist, I always make too much! And Pa'll be here soon so we can all eat together!" Shima said and Naruto blinked. "Come, enjoy, enjoy!"

Naruto looked down at the rice balls...filled with rainbow colored caterpillars and there were steamed giant pill bugs on a square plate. The young Hokage looked sick, but smiled politely at Shima. She smiled back and he reached for some chopsticks.

"Hey Granny Shima, I'm back!" a new voice said and Shima looked up.

"Tenko?" Shima said and Naruto looked up as a young man with long white spiky hair...hazel eyes...and red lines down his eyes entered. He was wearing a grayish shirt over male, and blue gray pants. His jaw dropped...the young man looked like Jiraiya... "You're home early, I thought you said you'd be back from Takigakure in three more weeks."

"Well they're getting onto war footing, Granny. Kinda a bad time to visit the hot springs there..." the young man, Tenko said with a grin before he paused, seeing Naruto. He blinked.

"Oh yes...this is the first time you two have met..." Shima said, breathing out. "And due to that damn prophecy that the old geezer made he never met his father..." she said under her breath. "Naruto-chan, this is Tenko...Jiraiya and Tsunade's son."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Jiraiya-shishiou and Tsunade-baa-chan's son...h-how...?"

"You two are the same age..." Shima said, starting her explanation. "Tsunade and Jiraiya-chan they went out to celebrate Minato-chan becoming the Hokage...one thing led to another, Jiraiya-chan managed to woo her for that night...one thing led to another...and Tsunade ended up pregnant. She didn't tell Jiraiya-chan...and left Konoha the next day with Shizune in toe. Then something happened..."

"What?" Naruto asked her and Shima closed her eyes.

"The Kyubi no Yoko attacked Konoha...and Tsunade ended up in Myobokuzan. She gave birth to Tenko here...and then the Great Toad Sage predicted something about Jiraiya's...lineage...and pa went to find Tsunade after hearing. The prediction said the 'Son of the Toad Sage would cross many lands...and meet his father years past...' or something that close...by now, Tenko had been born...and pa offered to train and take care of him..."

"Mom...visited often...I grew up here," Tenko said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Why...did she give Tenko over so easily?" Naruto asked and Shima rubbed the back of her head.

"Pa can be very persuasive when it comes to these things," Shima said and Naruto looked up at Tenko.

"...its...nice to meet ya man...I was Jiraiya's last student...Naruto Uzumaki."

Tenko blinked. "You're...my dad's last student...man, I thought you'd be older..."

Naruto chuckled weakly, rubbing the back of his head as Fukusaku walked in. "Naruto-chan..." he then looked up to see Tenko. "...well, this isn't what you were summoned for...but it is time you two met..."

"What was I summoned for?" Naruto asked and Fukusaku grinned.

"The Great Toad Sage has a prediction for ya," Fukusaku said with a grin. "He wanted ya to come here immediately...but Kichi didn't get the location right in the reverse summoning."

Naruto blinked. "Alright..." he looked to Tenko. "Nice meeting you...never expected that Jiraiya-shishiou had a son..."

Tenko grinned. "I'll come with you to the old Sage's place."

**Konoha**  
While Naruto had been transported to Myobokuzan, Sakura and Kakashi were currently sparring on one of the undamaged training fields outside of Konoha's walls. The pink-haired kunoichi dodged a kick from the copy-ninja, charged her chakra to her feet and retaliated with a strong kick.

Kakashi's Sharingan predicted that, and he ducked the kick, and tripped Sakura. "You're still leaving yourself too open for counter attack with those moves..."

Sakura breathed in and out, wiping her forehead. "How about...this then?" she yelled, doing several seals and her hands charged up with the Chakura no Mesu (Chakra Scalpels).

She ran forward at Kakashi, using her perfect chakra control to swipe at her teacher. The copy ninja leaped to the side to avoid the slash, and she increased the size of the scalpel...and cut completely through the tree being him. Kakashi's eyes widened at that, seeing the tree fall and Sakura dragged her other hand forward, lengthening the scalpel to a full sword and slashed up as he leaped back.

_Incredible...she turned her Chakura no Mesu into Chakura Ken (Chakra Swords)..._ Kakashi thought, jumping back as Sakura leaped into the air.

"Tsutenkyaku (Painful Sky Kick)!" Sakura yelled, slamming her heel down as Kakashi leaped back. The impact of her heel cratered the ground deeply as she swiped at her teacher with her Chakura Ken (Chakra Swords) in a scissor slash.

Kakashi was hit...and he puffed away. Sakura panted, powering down as the real Kakashi walked out. "Very impressive Sakura, I didn't expect that..."

Sakura panted. "That's...the first time I've been able to beat...one of your bushins though Sensei..."

"Its a good start, however," Kakashi said, giving a smile. "I understand you have a Doton Affinity, have you thought of adding a second element?"

"No...I haven't..."

"Well then, it might be a good idea," Kakashi said. "Since you use Doton, Katon or Suiton might be a good way to supplement Doton's defensive capabilities..."

"I guess...I'll try for Katon then, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi nodded. "Good idea. I know plenty of Katons to teach you."

Sakura nodded rapidly, breathing in and out.

At the same time, the other members of the Konoha 11 were also training to prepare to fight Sasuke Uchiha in the future. At the Hyuga Compound, Hinata was practicing with her Byakugan. On her desk was the shards of the Hokage's Necklace, which she had painstakingly put back together and attached to a golden chain. She was noticing something...different about her eyes lately. She breathed in and out calmly, whenever she activated her Byakugan lately, the blood vessels in her eyes' sclera would flush with blood, giving them the appearance of being bloodshot, on top of the bulging veins around her eyes. She could see even further and in more detail when it happened, but she was significantly more exhausted afterwards.

_I wonder if father or any of the elders' know what's happening..._ Hinata thought, her Byakugan still activated as she got into Jyuken stance. Drawing her hands back, she breathed out as chakra surrounded them and then formed into huge lion heads around her. "Juho Soshiken (Gentle Step Twin Lion Fists)!"

She yelled, charging at the targets. Thrusting her right arm forward, the 'jaws' of the lion opened and latched onto the wooden target, and she yanked back, tearing out a huge chunk of the target before smashing the other lion fist into the target, obliterating it. Hinata grinned, powering down her fists as splinters rained down. Powering down her Byakugan, her white eyes turned back to normal and the bloodshot-look faded.

At the Inuzuka Compound, Kiba was riding on Akamaru, carrying the Senpo Roga (Whirlwind Wolf Fang) in his hand. It was a kodachi his grandfather used, said to be able to cut through anything. Charging it up with chakra he pointed forward at a target.

"Alright Akamaru, ready buddy?" Kiba yelled as Akamaru barked, then leaped into the air. "Tsuga (Piercing Fang)!"

The target he was aiming at was a two meter wide slab of the hardest steel, and Kiba and Akamaru spun in their Tsuga at an insane amount of speed as Kiba pushed his Senpo Roga forward. They bore through the slab of steel, completely drilling through it. Landing on the other side, Kiba grinned and Akamaru barked in triumph.

"That was awesome!" Kiba yelled, jumping off Akamaru's back.

Team Gai were training together, each trying to perfect new techniques. Since Neji was one of the only ones, besides Naruto, who had fought the current Sasuke, he was telling Rock Lee and Tenten what to look out for.

"Sasuke Uchiha currently has the Mangekyo Sharingan, and he could use the 'Amaterasu' after being pushed," Neji said as he dodged Rock Lee's fist and then leaped back from Tenten's bo-staff. "When you see his eye bleeding, either bring up something to block, shunshin (body flicker) out of the way, kirawami (substitution) something, or try to obscure his vision so you can't hit him."

"Konoha Dai Senpu (Strong Leaf Hurricane)!" Lee yelled. He had removed his weights, and did a spinning kick at Neji who ducked it. "What else should we prepare for, Neji?"

"The Susano'o, Sasuke's ultimate defense," Neji said as his body glowed blue. "Kaiten!"

He yelled as one of Tenten's bombs exploded above him, and he deflected all the blades that were shot from the bomb. _Same old Neji..._ Tenten thought, preparing another weapon. "Is that it?"

"Other than the other skills he had before, yes, that is," Neji said.

At the Aburame Compound, Shino was sitting with his legs crossed in a special room. Shibi, his father, was supervising his training...his son had requested the special insects that his Clan had produced. The nano-sized poisonous insects, which would supplement his own hives of Kikai.

To prepare to receive a hive of the nano-insects, Shino had to be completely cleansed of any foreign bodies including his own hives of Kikai which were now being held in the room. If the nano-insects rejected Shino...Shibi would have only minutes to administer the antidote.

"I am ready, father. Release them," Shino said, his eyes closed and Shibi nodded.

"Very well, Shino," Shibi pulled a lever and a small door opened in the microscopic insects flooded in. They were invisible to the naked eye, but there were millions of them.

They all attached to Shino's skin...and buried into it. The young Aburame's skin began to turn black as the microscopic insects flooded into him, and he kept his eyes closed calmly. Shibi watched his son for several minutes to see if there was any side effects. Slowly...the blackness faded and Shino's skin color returned to normal.

_The nano-sized insects have accepted him as their host..._ Shibi thought. _Though that is the first step...he has to learn to control them as well as make it so the two hives won't fight each other..._

At the Akimichi compound, Choza was watching as Choji attempted his new technique. The young Akimichi grew to tremendous size, and then made a doton seal, followed by a tiger. His skin then turned dull gray in color, until his entire face, arms, and legs were colored in a dull gray tint.

"Akimichi Hiden: Tetsu Buddha (Akimichi Hidden Technique: Iron Buddha)!" Choji yelled, stomping forward and shaking the ground as he did one of Jiraiya's poses. "How's this dad?"

Choza grinned. "Great son, though I could do without the kabuki pose."

Choji grinned. "Its my tribute to Jiraiya-sama though!"

The Akimichi patriarch smirked, shaking his head. "Good, now we're going to test to see how much punishment you can take in that form..."

At the Yamanaka Compound, behind the now rebuilt Yamanaka Flower Shop, Ino was busy training as well with her father. She was now lugging around a puppet on her back, blinking.

"I have to learn Kugutsu no Jutsu (Puppet Technique), but I thought that was a Sunagakure Technique!"

"The Yamanaka originated in the Land of Wind, honey," Inoichi said with a smirk. "And besides, this technique will help you offensively as well as in scouting..."

"Okay...okay..." Ino said breathing out. "Then another technique?"

"Yes...after you master this one, you'll learn the strongest technique the Yamanaka has to offer."

Finally at the Nara Compound, Shikamaru was now practicing the strongest of the Shadow Techniques with Shikaku watching over him. A dummy had been set up in the middle of the field, and then he activated the light bomb above the building that loomed over the training field.

"Nara Hiden: Kage Tetsu Otome (Nara Secret Technique: Shadow Iron Maiden)!" Shikamaru yelled, first using the Kage Nui no Jutsu to impale the dummy from the bottom as the shadow of the building loomed in. He did two more seals, and the shadow 'stood up'...and then slammed shut around the dummy. It then pulled it down into the ground, the dummy completely vanishing. Shikamaru pulled his hands apart, panting. "There...has to be an easier way to do this...two techniques in rapid succession...the latter taking a lot of chakra to do..."

He put his fingertips together and closed his eyes as he began to think. Shikaku smirked, watching as his son began thinking.

_He's the only person who could make this technique more practical..._ Shikaku thought, grinning.

**Mount Myobokuzan**  
Naruto, Tenko, and Fukusaku were walking into the Great Toad Sage's building, and the young Hokage was looking up as the oldest giant toad loomed above them. His hands were over a Crystal Ball.

"Ooh...Naruto-chan, Tenko-chan, what are you doing here?" the Great Toad Sage said as Gerotara came out.

"You called me to be here, remember?" Naruto yelled, waving his hand with a grin. "Something about a prediction?"

"It was about me, Naruto!" Gerotara said, hopping over. "Jiraiya wanted me to be stored inside you. This is the key to your seal...with it you can perfect 'that jutsu'..."

Naruto breathed out at that and the Great Toad Sage leaned back. "Oh yes, of course! I have to predict your future..."

"Well...what is it?"

"You...will meet an Octopus..." he started and Naruto blinked.

_An...octopus...what?_

"The vision is cloudy, but I see octopus tentacles," the Great Toad Sage explained. "Then you...will meet a young man with great power in his eyes, and-"

"Yes...I know who that is...and what I have to do," Naruto replied and Fukusaku blinked.

"You do, Naruto-chan?"

"Yes, I do..." Naruto said, closing his eyes before looking up while focused.

"...very well...Gerotara, give him the key Yondaime's Seal."

"As you wish, elder!" Gerotara yelled, as the key scroll appeared from his stomach, and he unraveled it. And there it was, the Yondaime Hokage's Four Element Seal.

"So this is the key...to opening the Kyubi's cage..." Naruto whispered and Gerotara nodded.

"Yep, with this, you could release the Kyubi completely if you wanted to," Gerotara said, holding his hand out. "Now put your hand on the square."

"What are you waiting for? Put your hand on the seal!" Fukusaku ordered.

"Fukusaku-sama, the Kyubi's powers work like this: There's two parts of it-mind and chakra. To control the Kyubi's power, ya gotta pull out its chakra into your own. But it ain't as easy as it sounds, when ya draw out the Fox's chakra, its mind goes along for the ride. The Kyubi's mind is a malevolent mass of hatred tied to a hugely powerful chakra. No matter how strong y'are, its hatred will latch onta the hatred of your own heart and try to take over. Basically, the only way to truly have control over it's power is to have a strong enough will with no hatred and completely filter out the mind from the chakra."

"...and what happens if that doesn't happen?" Tenko asked.

"Well Yondaime designed his seal so a tiny bit of chakra would leak out and naturally combine with Naruto's own chakra. But with this key here you could completely undo the Four Element Seal and tap into the Kyubi's full chakra!"

"And with it, the full force of the Kyubi's will!" Fukusaku said.

"If that happens, the Kyubi will be completely reborn. It'd even regain its Yin chakra which the Yondaime Hokage sealed."

"Ye tried already opening the seal once?" Fukusaku asked.

"The Four Element Seal has been growing weaker with time, so during Naruto's training Jiraiya tried to suppress the Kyubi when Naruto started transforming out of nowhere. But the seal was loose...wasn't no telling when he'd transform again. So Jiraiya used the key to open a tiny crack hoping to teach Naruto to repel its mind and take full control over its chakra...that didn't work out..."

"What happened after that?" Fukusaku asked.

"I honestly don't know."

"...its true when I fought Orochimaru I went to the Kyubi willingly to take control...when he started talking about Sasuke I snapped, I wanted to kill Orochimaru right where he stood. But...I also hurt Sakura-chan...that's when Yamato-taicho told me to stop relying on the Kyubi and start fighting on my own power," Naruto said, filling it in for them. "Obviously I was fine when it was suppressed during training, but you can't help having your heart in battle. So I decided to never ask the Kyubi again for help...I didn't think I had the strength to keep it from taking over my own mind again. Then when I saw Hinata-chan nearly die fighting Pain...I was so mad, I was full of rage. I let the Kyubi out again without thinking...then Yondaime reinforced the seal and I felt safe again. But I could lose control again..."

Tenko looked at him. "...so are you going to take it?"

"...the next time I fight Sasuke...I know I'll need the Kyubi's power...and I won't endanger anyone else anymore. I can't escape the fact that I'm the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki...its time for me to stop running," Naruto said as his fingers started glowing, and he put his hand to the square. _I know I took a long time...but I'm ready to control this thing dad!_

"The contract is sealed, I'm all yours!" Gerotara said, raveling the scroll again.

**Land of Lightning, Five Days Later**  
After storing Gerotara in his own body through swallowing him, Naruto had returned to Konoha with Tenko. Jiraiya's son would be coming with him to the island where the Alliance was sending him for training. After picking his team for the mission-Maito Gai, Aoba Yamashiro, Hinata Hyuga, and Tenko, Naruto handed things over to Kakashi who would take over commanding the Alliance even after he returned from training. Gai and Aoba were his bodyguards, Hinata was chosen since she was the best sensor in all of Konoha, and Tenko sort of invited himself since he wanted to get to know his father's last student.

On the boat to the island, Naruto was looking out as he closed his eyes. Hinata breathed out, looking over to him and she walked over. "Naruto-kun...?"

Naruto looked back and smiled. "Hey Hinata-chan," he rubbed the back of his head. He was still wearing his Hokage robes. "Thanks for coming on such short notice..."

"I was happy to do it...Naruto-kun," Hinata said, walking over. She was carrying something. "I...I have something for you..."

Naruto blinked as she opened her hand...and there was the reconstructed necklace of the First Hokage. "You...repaired it?"

Hinata nodded. "It took a bit to find all the pieces...I fused my own chakra into it...I...I hope you like..."

Naruto cheered, and picked Hinata up and spun her around. "Thank you! This is really, really important to me Hinata-chan!"

"Y-You're welcome, Naruto-kun," Hinata said as she blushed. Naruto set her down, and the two glanced into each other's eyes...blushing slightly.

"Thanks...Hinata-chan..." Naruto said, looking at her as he breathed in. "I really appreciate it..."

He then...hugged her and she 'eeped', but...hugged him back. Pulling away, the young Hokage put the necklace back on, and stored it beneath his clothes. He looked at her and smiled.

The two hugged again, and then looked off out to sea. There would be at least two days until they reached the island, and he remembered that the Great Toad Sage had said it was a 'paradise'. Naruto grinned, and he stretched, prepared for anything now.

_To be continued..._

**Author's Notes:**  
Sorry for the wait guys, I've been having computer problems. Yesterday was a nightmare...sometimes the computer would reboot right after I finished starting up! Anyway, the next arc starts Sasuke vs Danzo and Naruto vs Kyubi, thinking to have them go concurrently.

Please read and review, I hope you enjoy. Oh...return to the Jutsu List:

_Akimichi Hiden: Tetsu Buddha_ (Akimichi Hidden Technique: Iron Buddha), Original Technique, Hiden, no rank: The ultimate Akimichi Technique, Choji grows his body to tremendous size using the Cho Baika no Jutsu (Super Multi-size Technique), and then uses the Earth Seal to cover his skin with iron, forming an near impenetrable defense which increases his striking power to incredible amounts.

_Chakura Ken_ (Chakra Swords) Original Technique, A-Rank: Using her fine chakra control, Sakura turns her Chakura no Mesu into full blades, strong enough to sever limbs, bypass defenses, and cut through an entire tree trunk without any trouble.

_Chakura no Mesu_ (Chakra Scalpels) Canon Technique, B-Rank: A technique Medical Ninja use to cut into a patient's body and repair damage, but can be used in combat to sever muscles and tendons to take down an enemy's fighting potential.

_Juho Soshiken_ (Gentle Step Twin Lion Fist), Canon Technique, Kekkei Genkai, no rank: One of the ultimate taijutsus of the Hyuga Clan, which can be used to inflict sever bodily harm to an enemy. First attacks with the right lion, which can either shut down all the tenkatsus in someone's arm, or rip it right off, followed by a punch with the second lion covering the left fist which would explode on impact. Hinata's the first to use this technique in years, and it's perfect for her natural flexibility and agility.

_Nara Hiden: Kage Tetsu Otome_ (Nara Secret Technique: Shadow Iron Maiden), Original Technique, Hiden, No Rank: The ultimate Nara Technique, Shikamaru first needs an large structure or forest and the shadows in it, then he uses a light bomb or the sun to direct the shadows where he needs. Third, he needs to immobilize the target with the Kage Nui no Jutsu (Shadow Sewing Technique), when that is done, he uses the larger shadows to increase the impaled target in a huge box, and then sink them into the ground, killing or incapacitating them.


	8. Further into Darkness Sasuke's Dark Road

Chapter 8: Further into Darkness, Sasuke's Road  
**Land of Lightning, Ferry**  
It would be another day until the ferry had reached the island where Naruto would be receiving his training from Killer Bee. During that time, people had become very curious about Tenko, wondering who he was. The fact he looked like a younger Jiraiya, and that Jiraiya didn't have any known sons, was rather perplexing.

Naruto, Hinata, and Tenko sat together as they began to get to get to know each other. It was...rather very awkward, the three didn't know who to begin talking first to start the conversation. Naruto breathed out, deciding to ask first.

"So...uhhh..." Naruto started, rubbing the back of his head.

"...you're...wondering why mom left me with Fukasaku and Shima...huh?" Tenko asked quietly.

"Just...a bit...she never said..."

"...mom...was not as...together as she is now...Naruto," Tenko said, closing his eyes and he breathed out. "She thought she...couldn't handle it...and she was...constantly traveling. It was hard enough to take care of Auntie Shizune that time..."

"..I think Shizune took care of her," Naruto said, remembering the state Tsunade was in three years ago.

Tenko nodded. "Wouldn't be inaccurate...I don't want you to think less of her...she was gonna...bring me in soon. Even though I suck with medical ninjutsu...I could barely even apply a bandage without help."

Naruto grinned. "...how about Genjutsu?"

"...uhhhh...suck at that big time, I...can...uhh...break it! Real well! Living with two genjutsu specialists..." Tenko sighed, hanging his head. "And from what I've heard...you're stronger than me already! I can do a lot of dad's ninjutsus...though not as well," He grinned. "What about you? You spent three years with him! Can you do the Gama Endan? Gamaguchi Shibari...Yomi Numa? YOU HAVE TO SHOW ME!"

"...Uhhhhhhh...even though I spent three years with him...it was mostly to control the Kyubi and...make me into a real ninja," Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head. "He did give me the foundation to create the Futon: Rasenshuriken under Kakashi-sensei's supervision, and perfect Sage Mode with Fukasaku-sensei."

Tenko nodded. "...according to Fukasaku-sensei...I'm not good at Sage Mode for some reason. I can do it...but its at a level that's even below dad. I can't even do Kawazu Kumite (Frog Katas)..." he then leaned back and looked at Hinata. "And you, the beautiful Hyuga-san?"

_Beautiful?_ Naruto and Hinata thought at the same time-to Naruto it was in slight irritation, and to Hinata surprise.

"W-Well...I'm trying to become stronger..." Hinata started, twiddling her fingers. Due to her nervousness, her Byakugan turned on...showing the bloodshot eyes that was now showing around her eye. "I...um..."

"Hinata-chan...your eyes...one's...bleeding..." Naruto said and Hinata gasped.

She raised her hand to her eye and looked to see the blood slowly seeping out. She shook her head rapidly and deactivated her Byakugan.

"I had Sakura-chan check it out...she said not to worry about it unless it starts hurting..." Hinata said, trying to placate Naruto's worries. "I-It doesn't hurt at all...I don't even know when it starts and it stops after I deactivate my Byakugan..."

Naruto nodded. "...alright...if you say so...though tell me first when and if it starts hurting."

"I will, Naruto-kun," Hinata said, breathing out as she wiped the blood from her eye. _I really hope its not serious..._

"...well I've been thinking," Naruto started, rubbing the back of his head. "I'd like to teach you guys the Rasengan."

Hinata and Tenko blinked. "Huh? Why Naruto?" Tenko asked.

"I want to help Hinata-chan get stronger, and completing the Rasengan got me stronger...so...thought it'd might be a good way," Naruto said, looking at the Hyuga next to him before looking to Tenko. "And the Rasengan is kind of a 'family' jutsu now...my dad invented it, your dad taught me it...and you should learn it."

Tenko grinned. "Okay! Sure!"

"I-If that's what you want to do, Naruto-kun...I'd be honored to learn it," Hinata said, blushing slightly.

Naruto grinned. "Well then the first step is rotation..."

**Mountain's Grave**  
Sasuke was training in the deepest part of Madara's base, slashing through two targets before leaping into the air and tossing several Chidori Senbon at another human-shaped target. His eyes switched to the Sharingan and he ducked and dodged several blades that came down from the ceiling before two logs came crashing down when he landed. His Sharingan morphed to the Mangekyo Sharingan, and the Susano'o formed around his body and blocked the logs.

"Sheesh Sasuke, going to destroy these all again?" Suigetsu asked from the sidelines, sharpening the Decapitating Carving Knife. "You know how hard it is rebuilding it time and time again?"

Karin sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She was more prepared for battle this time, armed with several bottles on her belt of unknown liquids. She also had several tags in her pack now, each with a different purpose.

"Suigetsu, just let him train!" Karin yelled at him. _Hopefully he'll work that dark chakra out of his system..._

She put her hand to her cheek, remembering when he had hit her when he went to face Naruto. Sasuke had long forgotten that incident, and had been focusing on training ever since they got to Madara's base. Jugo came walking in, now he had returned to his teenage body.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and he remembered the strange buzz-saw attack-the Rasenshuriken-which had shattered his Susano'o during his fight with Naruto. He gave a roar, thrusting Susano'o's arms to the sides and launching the logs back into the ceiling. The impact shook the entire compound and his teammates had to cover their heads to protect themselves from falling debris.

Madara came walking into the room. "I know you're training, Sasuke, but I don't think you should wreck up the place."

_That move was a Futon...I know it...the extremely fast spinning and density of the chakra increase its cutting power to the extreme..._ Sasuke thought, powering down and ignoring Madara. _How did Naruto create such a technique...? Did Kakashi teach him it? And what about that new form he was in...?_

"Sasuke...I'm speaking to you," Madara said firmly and Sasuke looked up. "Good, I finally have your attention. Danzo is far enough away from Konoha."

"Excellent..." Sasuke snarled and he glanced at the members of Taka. "Prepare for battle, we set out immediately."

"Hai, Sasuke!" Suigetsu, Karin, and Jugo all said as the Uchiha slid his sword back into its hilt.

**Southeastern Fire Country**  
The sky had quickly become overcast when Danzo's group had entered the lands where his base was located. This was due to the volcanic eruptions that gave the place its name-the Gates of Fire. Due to the volcanism of this area, the Land of Fire partially got its name from it.

"Danzo-sama, its still following us," Fu said, his hand on his blade.

"Haven't we killed in three times already?" Torune asked as they walked.

"Apparently, the enemy can clone itself," Danzo said and he glanced at the female ROOT member present with them-Sen. "Take care of this one. We're almost to the barrier perimeter."

Sen nodded. "Yes, Danzo-sama," she spun around...paper forming around her hands and she molded them into blades. She then sent them flying at where Zetsu was hiding.

The Akatsuki Spy managed to get out of the first volley before Sen leaped at him...and slashed his head off with two swords made of paper. Landing, the paper returned to her body like it was her skin and she walked back over to her lord.

"My, my, is that _**Konan's**_ ability..." a new voice said from out of nowhere.

The four ROOT Members went on guard and from a swirling vortex ahead of them...Madara Uchiha appeared. Danzo's eyes narrowed, seeing the leader of Akatsuki in front of them. Fu, Torune, and Sen immediately got in diamond formation in front of Danzo to guard him.

"I thought that girl looked familiar...you're full of surprises, Danzo," Madara said with a smirk. "How long has it been now? Not since the Uchiha Massacre, huh?"

"...Fu, Torune, Sen, I am going to unseal my arm," Danzo told them and they nodded.

"Oh, I don't think you'll be fighting me..." Madara said as he created another vortex. "Sasuke, its time for you to shine now...try not to overdo it."

In front of the ROOT members then stood Uchiha Sasuke, Hozuki Suigetsu, Karin, and Jugo-all wearing Akatsuki cloaks. Sasuke's eyes immediately turned to the Sharingan as he saw Danzo for the first time. Calmly...the ROOT Leader just continued to pull the bolts off of the seal on his arm.

"Suigetsu, Jugo, Karin, take care of his guards," Sasuke ordered, pulling his blade out. "Danzo is _**mine...**_"

Danzo looked upon Sasuke and his team calmly as his bodyguards formed a defensive position. Making a small nod to his bodyguards, the three leaped forward at Suigetsu, Jugo, and Karin, weapons drawn. It was at that same moment, Sasuke charged forward, his Sharingan activating. The Chidori flared to life in his hand and he dodged Fu and Torune's strikes, making his way to Danzo.

The ROOT Leader reacted calmly, sidestepping Sasuke's charge as the Uchiha pulled out his Chokuto, aiming to cut off his head. Danzo blocked with his cane and skidded sideways. He had let go of his cane and was flying through the seals.

"Mokuton Hijutsu: Jukai Kotan (Wood Release Secret Technique: Nativity of a World of Trees)," Danzo said, finishing the seals as the ground started shaking. Madara looked interested and he leaned forward.

_Mokuton...when did he get that...?_ Madara thought as huge roots emerged from the ground...followed by several large trees.

In just a few seconds, the entire place was then covered in a dense, large forest. It was at that moment, Fu charged Karin who leaped onto one of the branches to escape the slash of his tanto, very confused at what happened.

"What the hell? How did a forest get here?" Suigetsu yelled, blocking several kunai thrown at him from Torune with his Decapitating Carving Knife.

"Its Mokuton," Karin said, standing up on the branch. "Orochimaru experimented with it...though how does Danzo have it?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as Danzo leaped into a tree, a bolt falling down where he used to be. The Uchiha did several seals, taking a deep breath and he shot out a Katon: Goryuka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique), blowing it directly at Danzo. The ROOT leader Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique) out of the way of the dragon shaped fire blast, another bolt falling from his cloak. He did his own seals as he fell, sucking in air.

"Futon: Shinkugyoku (Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere)!" Danzo yelled, shooting several small blasts of wind chakra at Sasuke.

Sasuke leaped out of the way, but a projectile of wind chakra slammed into his arm, nearly slicing through the bone. At the same time, Jugo and Karin were engaging Fu and Sen in battle. Wings of paper had formed at Sen's back, entering the Shikigami no Mai (Dance of the Shikigami). Karin was hiding behind a large tree, hand on a kunai breathing in and out.

_Calm...just stay calm...so the girl can turn into paper...negating most of your attacks..._ Karin thought as Sen launched a wave of paper shaped into kunai's at the sensor's hiding place after Fu pointed her out. The paper embedded and cut into the tree, forcing Karin to leap out and toss a kunai that had one of her vials on it.

Sen's wings drew themselves in front of her as a shield, blocking the kunai. The vial however shattered upon impact, dispersing a pink smoke that surrounded the ROOT paper user. Her paper began to 'melt' slightly from the smoke, and she flapped her wings to get out of it.

"Alright Jugo, now!" Karin yelled as Jugo fell from a tree, Fu's tanto buried in his right shoulder. His fists enlarged and several chakra boosters appeared on one, and shot out blue flames.

It accelerated his fall and he smashed his huge fist into Sen, making her cry out and slam into the ground hard. Jugo landed, the Cursed Seal marking spreading around his neck and cheeks. He yanked Fu's tanto out of his shoulder as Karin formed a seal.

_Okay...got to find that other ROOT member..._ Karin thought, activating her Kagura Shingan (Mind's Eye of the Kagura) and she closed her eyes. _Suigetsu is fighting the other one..._

Her eyes then opened quickly and she dodged a flurry of shuriken that came out of one branch. Fu burst out after her, taking out one of his kunai and Karin's eyes widened as he closed in. Acting quickly, she grab a smoke bomb and a light bomb from her pack and tossed them up. Both burst, sending a blinding light as well as a billowy smoke screen to cover Karin's escape as Fu was temporarily blinded.

_That was close...he's a sensor too..._ Karin thought as she got into a new hiding place. _Chakra Suppression Technique!_

At the same time, Torune was trying to injure Suigetsu, dodging the massive blade that the Seven Swordsman apprentice was using. He lashed out in a swift kick, smashing it...through Suigetsu's jaw making it burst into water. The Aburame ROOT member leaped back as Suigetsu's head reformed, grinning widely.

"Going to have to try better than that!" Suigetsu said as he threw his sword into the air. His hands turned into a blur of seals, and his cheeks swell. "Suiton: Bakusui Shoha (Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave)!"

He then spat out a massive amount of water from his mouth that flooded some of the area. The massive wave crashed into Torune who crossed his arms in a block. The wave smashed him into a tree before draining away to a little around waist deep level, and he fell. Suigetsu lifted his hand up, catching the Decapitating Carving Knife as it fell back to earth. He gave a sharp toothy grin, and took out one of his water bottles and drank it.

_Damn it..._ Torune thought as he pulled himself onto the top of the small lake that Suigetsu had created. _If I had the Kikai Insects, I could drain away his chakra...I picked the wrong opponent..._

At the same time, Sasuke was chasing Danzo through the trees, the two exchanging a flurry of kunai and shuriken at each other, as well as trying to hit each other with elemental jutsu. The ROOT leader was almost ready, the last bolt falling...and his arm was completely unsealed. It was at that moment, Sasuke had started closing the distance...as Danzo did three seals.

"CHIDORI!" Sasuke yelled, slamming his lightning covered hand into the ROOT leader's chest. _I...got..._

Before Sasuke could finished...Danzo faded...and appeared behind him. Before the last Uchiha could even turn his head, the ROOT leader slammed his heel into Sasuke's head and made him crash into the ground. He spat out blood before looking up to see Danzo looming over him.

"Its quite impressive you managed to get that close to me," Danzo said...his arm still mostly hidden. "But this battle is mine, now."

In response...Sasuke gave a roar as his eyes shifted to the Mangekyo Sharingan and the skeleton of Susano'o appeared around his body and smashed a fist down at Danzo as he was about to strike. The ROOT leader's body was crushed...and then it faded away. Sasuke's eyes widened, and he looked back and forth.

"So that's Susano'o...you are your brother's brother after all," Danzo said, now standing up on a tree.

At the same time, Sen was pulling herself up from Jugo's blow, her wings flapping as she righted herself. Blood was dripping from her lip, and she had shedded the paper which had melted from Karin's pink mist, she breathed out through her nose and looked around.

_Where did Jugo of the Scales go...?_ Sen thought flying to above tree-top level. _And Fu-sempai...I can still sense his chakra..._

She heard an large explosion and turned to see a tree falling. Fu was leaping into the air, blood dripping from his lip as Jugo pursued him. The Cursed Seal template created a chakra rocket pack on his back and he rammed himself into the Yamanaka ROOT Member, hard. Fu spat out blood as he was sent flying higher into the air.

"Fu-sempai!" Sen yelled, flying after him quickly. Sending out her paper, she created a floating 'island' that Fu fell on and catching him. _He's alive...but knocked out cold now..._

She turned to see Jugo landing on a top branch, laughing maliciously, his other personality having taken over. Sen's eyes narrowed, despite being trained not to show emotion...she was angry at that moment. Creating a massive amount of paper in her wings, she launched them in a flurry at Jugo.

"Jugo, behind you!" Karin yelled as she came out of hiding and Jugo turned in time to see the mass of paper blades flying at him.

"_**Oh yeah, like that's gonna work!**_" Jugo yelled, smashing his fists together and he created two cannons. He then fired them at once, sending a beam that burned up the paper that was launched at him.

Sweat formed at Sen's brow and she continued her volley, increasing it more and more as she tried to overpower Jugo's beam of chakra. A virtual wall of paper she sent crashing into the beam, trying to push it back.

_Got to...outlast him here..._ Sen thought as she kept up her barrage.

Jugo beam slowly began to weaken before it dissipated entirely, and the heavy wall of paper that Sen had created to overpower his beam smashed into him, sending him crashing into the ground. He gave a roar of pain before falling unconscious. Sen floated there, panting as Karin saw her chance. She leaped up and tossed two of her vials at the paper-using ROOT member.

Sen blocked...and the vials exploded into a pink and purple mist. She began coughing, having a hard time maintaining her altitude and her paper began dampening and melting like before. She then fell from the sky, falling into one of the trees Danzo had created. She got lucky, managing to fall into the second top branch and not fall any further. Her body turned back from paper into normal, and she fell unconscious.

_How...?_ Sasuke thought as his left eye began bleeding, and he aimed it right up at Danzo. "**Amaterasu!**"

He roared, a fireball of Amaterasu forming and launching itself right at where Danzo was staying. The ROOT Leader just stood up there calmly...and he was incinerated completely by the black flames. Sasuke winced, putting his hand to his eye and he powered up his Susano'o even more, adding the layer of skin and muscles of its more complete form.

"Amaterasu too, and a higher degree of control than your brother's as well," Danzo said from behind him, making Sasuke whirl around. The ROOT leader then performed several seals...and a Kuchiyoise circle appeared on the ground and grew before exploding in a puff of smoke...revealing a massive Chameleon...with huge gray eye with circles on it, the other wrapped in bandages. It also had a snake-like tail and a wing, as well as a tentacle on its back with black spikes in it.

_What? What the hell is that thing?_ Sasuke thought as Danzo hopped into the chimera chameleon's mouth, and the summon closed its mouth and vanished.

Madara was watching from afar. _That's...one of Animal Path's summons...did he obtain one of the body's Rinnegan?_ He pursed his lips behind his mask. _That's a problem...even though those only had a single one of the Rinnegan's powers...they are still powerful._

In response to this turn of events, Sasuke empowered his Susano'o to the highest level. The skin fully spread over the skin, and the crossbow formed. Finally, the armor rose up around the Susano'o's form and 'swallowed' it, completing it. Adding to the defense, Sasuke pulled the embers of his Amaterasu which was suppose to burn up Danzo, and used his Enton to manipulate them around his armor. The black flames provided another layer of protection on the Susano'o.

Danzo watched from his Chameleon, and performed another summoning. A massive dog with multiple heads burst from the smoke, all with the same Rinnegan eyes that he had transplanted into his arm. Sasuke whirled on the beasts, lifting Susano'o's crossbow up and firing several bolts in the span of a single second, each tipped with an Amaterasu arrowhead. The first slammed into the dog, igniting it with the Amaterasu. As it howled in agony...it broke into several smaller clones, all of which slammed into Sasuke's Susano'o.

He gritted his teeth, forming his crossbow into a shield and bashing several away, igniting them on fire. They howled, exploding into smoke as several more continued the attack.

_What are these things?_ Sasuke thought, Susano'o's arm forming a sword instead of a bolt, and Sasuke ignited the sword with Enton. Using the flame sword, the Uchiha slashed and batted away the strange dogs, which kept multiplying. _When I hit one, two more take its place...I need to get out of their range!_

Danzo watched as the Amaterasu flames disappeared around Susano'o, and Sasuke powered it down to a weaker version-just the ribcage and he bit his thumb, leaping into the air and flying through the seals.

"Kuchiyoise no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!" He yelled, and in a puff of smoke he summoned a massive hawk which he used to fly out of the attack dog's range.

Sasuke breathed out calmly, his eyes scanning for any trace of Danzo. He heard another puff of smoke above him and a giant bird, its eyes having the same Rinnegan as the dogs in them, dove down at him and his hawk. The Uchiha swore, commanding his own Summon to evade the ROOT Leader's latest. A aerial duel began, Sasuke being buffeted by high winds and g-forces as he got into a turning battle with the giant bird.

On the ground, Karin was trying to hide from Danzo's prowling giant dogs. She was ducked behind a tree, closing her eyes and suppressing her chakra. The dog was sniffing the air, growling as it began to make its way towards her.

She gulped, and then she heard it yelp. Ducking out slightly, she saw Suigetsu's sword embedded in its neck, blood gushing out. It puffed away instead of multiplying, and Karin heard Suigetsu give a 'damn it'.

"Karin! You over there! Can you...toss me my sword back!" Suigetsu yelled, Torune giving him a hard time now as the fight progressed. _Shouldn't have used that big attack so soon..._

"G-Get your own sword! I'm trying to find Sasuke-kun!"

"He's up there! And it'd be a great help!" Suigetsu yelled back as he saw Torune's fist smash into his face, turning it into water as he fell back.

Torune then began doing seals. "Its been a long while since I've been forced to use my elemental ninjutsus..."

His hands began...charging up with electricity and he grabbed his tanto, and charged it up to a chakra blade infused with lightning. Suigetsu swore at that, and Karin threw him his sword and he caught it just in time to block the ROOT ninja's attack.

In the sky, Sasuke was going through a barrel roll to avoid the punishing winds of Danzo's summoned bird. He began charging up his chokuto with a Chidori, the sound of a thousand flapping birds being heard through the area as he pulled his hawk into a loop to meet the bird's dive head on. His Sharingan traced the bird's path and at the last second, he got his hawk to change its trajectory...and he sliced Danzo's summon bird's wing off. Moving out of a stall quickly, Sasuke coldly watched as the summon crashed to the ground before exploding into a puff of smoke.

_Time to find Karin..._ he thought, diving back down to tree level.

Karin was now being chased by two more giant dogs, having nearly ran out of her vials and explosive tags in an attempt to shake them off. She jumped from tree to tree, barely avoiding being bitten in half by one of the dogs. Using a Shunshin no Jutsu, she vanished and reappeared on top of a tree. The dogs sniffed her out though, and just as one was about to attack her.

"_**Amaterasu!**_" Sasuke roared, casting the Amaterasu onto the attacking giant dog as he dove down at Karin. He reached out, grabbing her hand and pulled her on board the hawk. They immediately flew up as the dog howled in pain before it puffed away from the flames of Amaterasu.

"Thank you...Sasuke..." Karin said as Sasuke put his hand onto his eye.

"Thank me by finding Danzo, my eyes haven't been able to locate him in that damn lizard summon of his."

Karin nodded, and she closed her eyes and made a seal, and activated her Kagura Shingan (Mind's Eye of the Sharingan) and began feeling everyone out. Sasuke's chakra signature was dark...she could sense Jugo was unconscious...as were the ROOT members Sen and Fu. She sense in bright blue Suigetsu fighting multiple giant dogs on top of Torune, the former apprentice Swordsman of the Hidden Mist was getting swamped. And then...she pinpointed where Danzo was.

"There, three o'clock low!" Karin yelled, pointing as Sasuke dove, his eye beginning to bleed again.

"Enton: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" Sasuke roared, forming the Amaterasu at his mouth and he blew it out in a fireball which rapidly grown in speed and power.

Danzo's Chameleon tried to get out of the way, but the Amaterasu Great Fireball slammed into it, and the explosion blew black flames all over the forest. Gritting his teeth, Sasuke suppressed the inferno he created and glanced at Karin whose jaw had dropped.

_Wow...I didn't know he could do that..._ Karin thought and she looked around. Closing her eyes again... "Sasuke!"

It was too late though, Danzo had appeared practically out of nowhere, flew through several seals. "Futon: Shinku Taigyoku (Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere)!"

Two huge rings of wind appeared around a vacuum ball of wind that Danzo had blown out of his mouth and it slammed right into Sasuke's hawk. Sasuke and Karin cried out, the two crashing to the ground as the hawk was destroyed by Danzo's attack. The ROOT Leader capitalized on the attack, charging forward and drawing a strange black rod from his sleeve.

Gritting his teeth, Sasuke landed on his teeth, activating his normal Sharingan and blocked Danzo's stab with his chokuto, making the ROOT Leader stumble forward as the last Uchiha used the momentum to flip over Danzo and slam his heel into the old man's head. Danzo crashed to the ground, gritting his teeth and he stood up, Sasuke's Susano'o forming.

"Alright bastard...I have some questions for you!" Sasuke yelled, his Susano'o partially forming and grabbing Danzo as Karin picked herself up, coughing up a pool of blood.

_Oh man...that...that really hurt..._ Karin thought, pushing herself up. She grasped her side, panting weakly.

**Ship in the Land of Lightning**  
Naruto was now in the middle of teaching Hinata and Tenko how to create a Rasengan. The three of them had water balloons in their hands and the young Hokage was teaching them rotation.

"Okay, the first lesson is to use your natural chakra rotation to make the balloon burst," Naruto said with a grin, holding the balloon. "I did it after watching a cat play with it."

Demonstrating, he began putting one rotation into the water and pushed in new rotations with his other hand. Hinata activated her Byakugan and saw the main chakra rotation in Naruto's balloon spinning into a maelstrom, with several smaller ones that he was implanting with his other hand into the balloon. And then, the balloon's sides poked out and bulged before bursting.

_Incredible..._ Hinata thought, looking at her own balloon.

"Alright, until you guys master this step I can't help any further," Naruto said with a grin.

Tenko blinked. "Huh? Why?"

"Since you either do or you don't...at least that's what Jiraiya-sensei said," Naruto replied with a grin.

"Alright," Hinata said and she closed her eyes, activating her Byakugan again and began adding her own rotation to the balloon.

Tenko breathed out. "Okay..." he said and he began adding his own rotation to his balloon.

Hinata's rotation was right, while Tenko's was left. The Hyuga Heiress kept a close eye on her rotation in the balloon, trying to increase it enough for the balloon to pop. Tenko just kept spinning his, trying to get his to pop as well. Naruto folded his arms, watching and waiting. Standing still for a few seconds, the orange tint of Sage Mode appeared around his eyes and he opened them to reveal toad-like pupils.

_Alright, time to kill two birds with one stone!_ Naruto thought excitedly. _I can practice staying longer in Sage Mode and sense their chakra rotations at the same time!_

He grinned and began observing and counting up at the same time. Six minutes past and neither Hinata nor Tenko made any progress. Naruto began counting up from 360, seeing how high he could get before his Sage Mode ran out.

"Come on come on come on..." Tenko growled, the balloon's insides spinning rapidly...but they weren't popping.

"Almost...almost..." Hinata whispered, sweat trickling down her forehead as she continued to push more chakra into the rotation. "Almost..."

_400...both of them are getting it...though they aren't rotating it fast enough to cause a pop...410..._ Naruto thought, uncrossing his arms. In his mind's eye, he could see their chakra spinning inside the water balloons rapidly, but not just yet. _...420...Hinata-chan seems to be getting it faster than Tenko..._

Just as he thought that...a tiny puncture appeared in Hinata's balloon, and water leaked out from her rotation. The Hyuga Heiress panted as her balloon deflated, closing her hand around it.

"Another one Naruto-kun..." Hinata said, panting slightly. "I can do this!"

Naruto grinned and tossed Hinata another water balloon. "Go for it!" _Faster than me...that's for sure. Hinata-chan's chakra control is much better than mine though...makes sense. 480..._

"Come on you stupid balloon, pop!" Tenko growled, the balloon was now in an oblong shape as the maelstrom spun around inside.

_...Ero-sennin's chakra control was awesome...Oba-chan's is the best in the world but Tenko...but he's worse than me..._ Naruto thought, blinking at that. _520..._

At the 520 second mark, his Sage Mode ran out and he began panting from the exhaustion of using it for a significant amount of time. Looking up, Tenko and Hinata were still focused.

"Okay, a little break," Naruto said with a grin, pushing him out from the squatting position. "And a little tip."

"A tip?" both Hinata and Tenko asked.

"Tenko...I think you should start adding a second rotation," Naruto said, explaining. "Remember how I did it? I think that method would work best for you."

Tenko nodded. "Okay...I'll give that a try."

"And me, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked.

"You need to add a little more oomph into the rotation...think of a little whirlpool in the middle of your hand and focus on it," Naruto said and his...girlfriend nodded.

"Okay, Naruto-kun," Hinata said.

"I'll definitely get this down now!" Tenko said, thrusting his arms back and he grinned.

One of Naruto's guards, Aoba Yamashiro was watching while Maito Gai barfed over the edge of the ship. The sunglasses wearing shinobi shook his head, patting the Beautiful Blue Beast's back.

"Why didn't you tell us you get sea sick before, Gai-san?"

"I never..." he started to reply before throwing up again. "Thought it would...come up..."

Aoba nodded as one of the Kumogakure Shinobi watched Naruto, Hinata, and Tenko. Another one was polishing a sword, keeping his eyes on the Hyuga Heiress, his eyes narrowed.

_Father...I'll capture her for you..._ the Kumo Shinobi thought, squeezing his hand into a tight fist. _A-sama's orders be damned...I'll capture the Hyuga Hinata and bring honor and prestige to my clan!_

**Southeastern Fire Country**  
Danzo looked down calmly at the enraged Uchiha, as if he wasn't worried about being in Sasuke's Susano'o's grip. Karin cradled her side, breathing out as she focused on healing herself. Activating the Shosen Jutsu (Mystical Palm Technique), her hand began glowing green as she repaired her injury.

"What do you want to know?" Danzo asked him, his visible eye narrowed.

"Did Konoha's Higher Ups order Itachi to kill the Uchiha? Answer me!" Sasuke demanded, putting a slight squeeze on Danzo.

"...does it matter if we did or not?" Danzo replied, blood starting to leak from his mouth. "If I say no, you'll call me a liar and try to kill me like you tried several times already. If I reply we did, you'll get enraged and try to kill me anyway. You let your emotions rule you more than even the Kyubi Jinchuriki."

"_**Answer me!**_" Sasuke roared, squeezing Danzo's life even more.

"Where did you get a notion like this anyway?" Danzo asked, still strangely calm despite his bone's breaking and blood leaking out of his mouth.

"_**ANSWER. ME!**_" Sasuke roared, losing self control and squeezing Danzo into a bloody mist, blood spurting everywhere.

"The answer is a yes," Danzo said, suddenly behind Sasuke with the same black rod and he charged forward.

The rod then negated Susano'o around it, dispersing it with ease like it was disrupting the very formation of it's chakra. It then slammed hard into Sasuke's back, pushing him forward as he gasped in surprise.

"Though I doubt Itachi told you, he wasn't the man to tell secrets," Danzo said, breaking the rod off in Sasuke's back before delivering a kick to his face. "Madara probably told you, more reason for me to get this fight over with."

Sasuke roared in pain, attempting to mold his chakra but it was going crazy. Susano'o burst around his body, only to shimmer and ripple like water before failing, and he fell to one knee.

_Damn it..._ Sasuke thought, Danzo holding a blade up as Karin's eyes widened.

"Like a rabid dog, I have to put you down, Sasuke," Danzo said, sounding both regretful and cold as he formed another rod in his hand. "I had such high hopes for you, as did Itachi."

"Do...not say...Itachi's...name!" Sasuke snarled, his chakra continuing to go crazy from the rod in his back.

_Sasuke!_ Karin yelled, forgetting her own injuries and she ran forward.

_To be continued.._

_

* * *

_

**Author's Notes:**  
I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I worked really hard to change things from canon and give Danzo new powers. Please, tell me what you think so read and review.

**Jutsu List:**  
Enton: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Blaze Release: Great Fireball Jutsu), no rank, Kekkei Genkai, Offensive: An Enton version of the standard Gokakyu no Jutsu, but with much more power due to the flames of Amaterasu.

Futon: Shinku Taigyoku (Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere), A-Rank, Offensive: Danzo expels two rings of wind chakra which whip up a massive sphere he launches from his mouth. When it impacts, it can even damage Susano'o's defense.

Futon: Shinkugyoku (Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere), C-Rank, Offensive: Danzo takes a deep breath and blows several small spheres out of his mouth that act like bullets. They rip through the target with ease.

Kagura Shingan (Mind's Eye of the Sharingan), Hiden, Supplementary: Karin's special technique which she uses to sense chakra. Using it, she survived an enemy attack on her home village, and Orochimaru took her into his service.

Katon: Goryuka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique), B-Rank, Offensive: Used primarily to fuel Sasuke's Kirin technique, it can also be used to inflict massive damage to the target. Shaped into a dragon's maw, it can burst through even stone to cause massive damage.

Mokuton Hijutsu: Jukai Kotan (Wood Release Secret Technique: Nativity of a World of Trees), no rank, Kekkei Genkai, offensive and supplementary: The Shodaime Hokage, Hashirama Senju's signature move, used to create the forests in Konoha. Danzo, due to his large chakra pool and Hashirama's cells in his body can create a massive forest which can be used to hide to buy time for his mysterious technique.

Suiton: Bakusui Shoha (Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave), B-Rank, Offensive and Supplementary: The user molds chakra in their stomach into water and then expels the water out of their mouth into three massive tsunami waves which crash down on the target and floods the area. Only those with large chakra pools-such as Hozuki Suigetsu or Hoshigaki Kisame can utilize this technique.


	9. Darkness Falls: Sasuke's Victory

Chapter 9: Darkness Falls: Sasuke's Victory  
**South Eastern Land of Fire**  
Karin's eyes widened, and she ran forward. Danzo's chakra disruption blade pressed forward, aiming to kill Sasuke with one last stroke. Channeling her chakra to her feet, the sensor launched herself in front of Sasuke using a Shunshin. The last Uchiha closed his eyes, preparing for the stab as Karin threw out her arms, breathing in as the chakra rod slammed through her chest.

Sasuke felt the splash of a warm blood on his face, and he opened his eyes. "Karin...?" he asked, gasping.

"I...won't let you..." Karin said, coughing out blood as Danzo frowned.

"That wasn't meant for you," Danzo said coldly, pulling the rod out as Karin fell to her knees.

"Run...Sasuke..." Karin whispered as looked at her.

_"I won't let my precious teammates die!" Kakashi said cheerfully after blocking an attack from Zabuza._

_In the Forest of Death then, a younger Naruto then stopped the massive snake that Orochimaru summoned all on his own. "Whatcha looking at...scardey cat?"_

_Then during the battle with Gaara, Sakura fearlessly stepped in front of the crazed Jinchuriki's attack to shield him._

_"You know what you lack?" Itachi whispered to him as he sank into the fleshy wall of the Toad throat that Jiraiya summoned. "__**Hatred.**__"_

_Finally, during the battle with Killer Bee, all the members of his team flashed before his eyes. Jugo saying that he was the last remaining memory of Kimimaro, Suigetsu saving them with his transformation, and Karin healing him._

He looked at Karin's now still form...and his eyes morphed back to the Mangekyo Sharingan. Like a fire, Susano'o burst around his body like a purple flame. The chakra disruption blades on his back shattered from the sudden influx of Sasuke's angry chakra, and Danzo's eye widened and he leaped away as it formed around the last Uchiha quickly. In just a few seconds, the skeleton of Susano'o was completed...then the muscles and skin were then weaved in with the crossbow forming, and finally the armor rose up and 'swallowed' the chakra construct. Quickly, Danzo went to make hand seals...but Sasuke backhanded him before he could finish the sequence.

"_**Ooof!**_" Danzo grunted, slamming into a tree and sinking down, and a little blood trickled from his lip. _Got to finish the seals before he's ready to attack again..._

Sasuke advanced to where Karin was laying, and he pressed his fingers to her neck. _She still has a pulse..._

"Run...Sasuke..." Karin mumbled and Sasuke looked at Danzo, and had Susano'o grab her and put her against a wall to rest.

"Rest, Karin...I'm going to finish this," Sasuke said, Danzo completing the seal sequence as the Uchiha ignited the tips of his arrows with Susano'o, causing his left eye to bleed. Pointing at Danzo, he fired two of the Amaterasu Arrows, impaling the ROOT Leader through.

...and like before, Danzo vanished and Sasuke's eyes darted around, preparing for the next assault.

"Mokuton: Chibaindo Kongen (Wood Release: Thousand Binding Roots)!" Danzo called out from his new vantage point. From the ground, nearly a thousand roots from large to small wrapped around Susano'o's arms and torso to restrict its movement.

Sasuke gritted his teeth, his left eye bleeding again and the roots then burst into the black flames of Amaterasu. "Enton: Enko no Yoroi (Blaze Release: Armor of Flame)!"

_Damn it, his control over the flames is getting better..._ Danzo thought as the weakened roots then shattered and splintered with Susano'o's extraordinary physical strength, sending splinters and shards that were still ignited with Amaterasu all around. _He's definitely better at using Amaterasu and Susano'o than Itachi...this is going to get harder..._

Danzo bit his thumb, scrawling it on his palm. Doing the three seals quickly, he slammed it down and summoned a massive elephant-like creature which let out a trumpeting howl from its trunk. The ROOT Leader stood on its head, overlooking where Sasuke was standing in the safety of his Susano'o.

Madara, who was watching looked at it in surprise. "So this must be Danzo's personal summon...a Baku...impressive."

"Another summon," Sasuke said to himself, looking up at the 100 meter tall creature.

Danzo did a few seals and then slammed his palm down onto the Baku's head. "Futon: Taifubakuha (Wind Release: Typhoon Blast)!"

A massive blast of wind strong enough to uproot trees as well as slice them into pieces blasts from the Baku's mouth. Sasuke stood his ground, morphing the crossbow in his Susano'o into a shield to protect from the fierce winds. Forming a blade with the other arm, Sasuke began advancing forward with his Susano'o.

At the same time, Suigetsu had been forced back to the large pond he created at the start of the battle with Torune. The Aburame ROOT Leader was now on the head of Danzo's dog summon, having hounded the former Seven Swordsman apprentice back there.

"Baaaaaaddddd idea forcing me here," Suigetsu said with a smirk, the water then pulling towards his body. "Suiton: Akuma Sakana Nami Kurasshu (Water Release: Demon Fish Wave Crash)!"

The water formed around Suigetsu into a massive blob that looked like it had jaws and eyes. It nearly...looked like a demonic fish. With Suigetsu floating right in the middle next to his sword. Grinning, he opened his jaws and the blob did too...sinking them down into the dog summon that Torune was riding. He then tossed it away, forcing the Aburame ROOT Member off. The dog summon yelped, crashing through several trees.

The Decapitating Carving Knife had...regenerated from its use in the battle against Torune. He had inflicted a few slash wounds into the Aburame ROOT member, and the blood had been absorbed back into sword, regenerating it. Suigetsu grinned.

_When I win this battle, I'm going to go and start getting the other swords of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen..._ Suigetsu thought confidently. _And then I'll reform it..._

Torune spat out blood, panting. _Didn't expect that...the summon is out..._

At the same time, Sasuke had reached the Baku's leg and slashed it despite the hurricane force winds that was buffeting his Susano'o. Danzo grunted as the Baku trumpeted in pain, looking its footing and canceling the jutsu. The ROOT leader glared down at Sasuke, meeting him in the eye...and then Sasuke dissolved into crows.

Itachi then appeared, flying right in front of Danzo's face. The ROOT Leader gasped...and then was ignited into the black flames of Amaterasu. Danzo grunted...and then realized the disturbance.

"...I commend you for catching me in a genjutsu," Danzo said calmly as the flames started to disappear, with Sasuke charging at the ROOT Leader's blind spot. "However..."

He launched a kick...only for Sasuke to counter with Susano'o's ribs, sending Danzo leaping forward. The Uchiha's hand sparked with electricity, and he shot out a Chidori Eiso (Chidori Spear), grazing Danzo's non-Sharingan arm as he leaped out of the way. Danzo took a deep breath and fired another Futon: Shinkugyoku (Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere) barrage at Sasuke, but all the tiny wind bullets were deflected by Susano'o's aura and ribs.

"Running out of tricks now, Danzo?" Sasuke asked mockingly, walking forward as Danzo snarled.

"Not quite," Danzo said and he tore off his bandages...and vanished. Sasuke blinked, looking around before the ROOT Leader appeared behind him slamming a chakra disruption blade charged up with Wind Chakra through Sasuke's Susano'o ribs.

Sasuke's eyes widened and he spun, charging Chidori through his blade and deflecting the wind enhanced chakra disruption blade. He then slammed his forehead into Danzo's, making Danzo stumble back.

Sasuke panted, the Susano'o fading around his body. "Whose...Sharingan is that...?"

"You'd become even more enraged if I told you," Danzo growled, blood leaking out of the headbutt wound he received from Sasuke. He panted, holding his disruption blade. _This is the best time to use it...damn it I underestimated him..._

Sasuke met Danzo's gaze...and then felt a new...compulsion. Madara was still observing the battle, and he frowned.

_Shisui's eye is out in full effect..._ Madara thought as the Uchiha slammed his palm down, summoning his hawk...and taking off towards Madara. _I should have expected this..._

Karin was coming to, and she was breathing out. Her chest hurt...but that stab had missed vital organs. But just barely. Activating the Shōsen Jutsu (Mystical Palm Technique), she managed to use her remaining chakra to close her wound. Breathing out, she looked to see Sasuke...flying towards Madara? And there was a huge elephant-like creature groaning in pain on the ground as Danzo panted, looking up.

_...what did I miss?_ Karin thought as she pulled herself up, grasping her wound. She activated her Kagura Shingan (Mind's Eye of the Sharingan)...and felt that Sasuke was under a powerful but subtle genjutsu. "Sasuke!"

Danzo checked his arm. "Three left...perhaps its time for a tactical retreat..."

Madara let Sasuke's Chidori go right through his body, Danzo observing. He watched as as the younger Uchiha tried to set the elder ablaze with Amaterasu. Madara countered, his eye activating and the Amaterasu was sucked right in and he punched Sasuke in the face.

Sasuke grunted, nearly flying off his Hawk. Then...his mind was clearer. "...what...?"

"Danzo put you under a genjutsu if you're wondering," Madara said and he teleported back to his original place.

Sasuke growled at that. "...I see..."

He turned his Hawk back towards Danzo who was still on the Baku's head. Danzo looked up...and then vanished before the Uchiha could close the gap. Sasuke snarled, swooping down to where Danzo used to be...and the Baku puffed into smoke.

_He unsummoned it...?_ Sasuke thought, his eyes narrowed. _What's he planning now...?_

At the same time, Suigetsu blinked as his Suiton: Akuma Sakana Nami Kurasshu (Water Release: Demon Fish Wave Crash) was blown back by a giant wind sphere, Danzo landing near Torune.

"I'm...alright Danzo-sama..." Torune said.

"We're retreating. Can you locate Fuu and Sen?"

In response...several papers wafted in the wind as Suigetsu then looked up... "Shikigami no Mai (Shikagami Dance)!" and thousands of sharpened papers slammed down through his Demon Fish form. The Hozuki raised his hands, blocking as he was forced back.

_Damn, what is that paper made out of?_ Suigetsu thought as Sen landed, bowing to Danzo.

"It is good that you are still alive, Danzo-sama..."

"We're retreating Sen, you've located Fuu?"

"Yes, but he's gotten the worst of it. Is Sasuke Uchiha defeated?"

"No, but his time will come," Danzo said as he made her rise.

At the same time, Sasuke landed at Karin's side. "Can you still use your power, Karin?"

"Yes...but Sasuke...it looks like they're leaving...you..."

"I'm not stopping until Danzo is dead," Sasuke said darkly, clenching his hand into a tight fist. "First him...then the other two elders...and finally the entire damned village..."

Karin's eyes widened. "But Sasuke...you're exhausted, injured, and nearly out of chakra...you can't-!"

"Tell me where he is!" Sasuke demanded, the anger that Danzo had managed to genjutsu him got to him. It had damaged his pride as a Uchiha. He squeezed Karin's shoulder tightly, making her shake in fear.

_What's...what's happening to you Sasuke...?_ Karin thought as she breathed in. "A-Alright Sasuke..."

Activating her Kagura Shingan again, she managed to locate Danzo. Pointing in the direction, Sasuke began running in that direction before leaping into the trees as he gained speed. Karin fell back, closing her eyes.

_Just...calm..._ Karin thought, closing her eyes. _...what's going through your head Sasuke...?_ She winced, rubbing her shoulder where he squeezed. _Your chakra...its pitch black now...did he even care that I saved him?_ Breathing out, she remembered all the times she was with Sasuke...from their first meeting in the Forests of Death when he saved her from an attacking Bear, to them meeting up again in the Land of Sound, to the forming of their team...till now. _I'm done with Sasuke...at this rate I'll probably just be killed by him..._

At the same moment, Sen had managed to gather Fuu as Torune laid out a reverse summoning scroll for the hideout. It was to be used as a last resort...and this qualified as one since none of them could get to the new base normally now.

"The summoning scroll is all ready, Danzo-sama," Torune said and Danzo nodded.

"Then lets..."

"CHIDORI EISO (Chidori Sharp Spear)!" a yell was heard and there was the sound of a thousand chirping birds.

Danzo glanced back and dodged a lethal stab from Sasuke's Chidori Eiso (Chidori Sharp Spear). However, he was pierced through the chest, narrowly missing his heart and major organs, but it was a serious injury. Danzo spat out blood, cursing...just as Torune finished the summoning. Before Sasuke could make it a lethal blow, the ROOT Members and their leader vanished in puffs of smoke.

Sasuke dropped to one knee, the toll on his chakra taking effect. He panted, putting his hand to his head...his vision was all blurry. He panted, barely able to see anything as Suigetsu grabbed his Decapitating Carving Knife and put it back on his back.

"Well, ya won Sasuke," Suigetsu said with a smirk and Sasuke snarled.

"...next time I'll finish the job..." Sasuke said, standing up. "Where's Jugo?"

"Still lying in a crater back there. He's down for the count still," Suigetsu said, leaning back. "Where's Karin?"

"Back there," Sasuke said, putting his hand to his eyes. "Damn it...I should have been able to finish him off..."

Madara landed next to him. "You did do very well against him, Sasuke. I think it's time for us to return to base..."

Sasuke panted, looking at the Akatsuki Mastermind, seeing just a blurry image. "...I need Itachi's power..."

Madara smirked behind his mask. _Excellent...its about time..._ "What brought this change, Sasuke...?"

"I can barely see now..." Sasuke snarled, standing up. "I can't destroy Konoha or kill the Elders with my vision now almost gone."

Suigetsu blinked. "Huh...?" he looked at Sasuke. "I thought just the Elders were your target."

"All of Konoha is, Suigetsu," Sasuke said as Jugo hobbled there, caked blood on several lacerations, but he didn't look like he was in danger of losing his life.

"Did you win, Sasuke?" Jugo asked, his hand on his shoulder.

"Yes, but he got away," Sasuke replied darkly. "We're heading back to the base...lets find Karin."

Karin had pulled herself under some roots to hide, knowing that Sasuke could come back any time. She breathed in and out, the pain in her chest still there from being stabbed by Danzo. Wincing, her hand glowed green as she began treating her injury again.

_Just...got to stay quiet..._ She thought, keeping her eyes closed.

Suigetsu came walking into the clearing. "Yo, Karin, where are you, we're shipping off!"

He looked around, seeing her no where in sight. "Karin! Yo! Where the hell are you?" _That's weird, did I go in the right direction..._

Karin kept herself quiet. _I need to head somewhere safe after they're gone..._

Suigetsu checked nearly everywhere, Karin using her Chakra Suppression Technique to hide herself from Zetsu. The apprentice Seven Swordsman scratched his head in confusion.

"Where the hell could she have gone...?" Suigetsu asked aloud, scratching his head and he walked back to where Sasuke and Jugo were.

Karin kept her breath held. _Just...walk away damn it!_

Suigetsu walked to her position...and ducked in. "Karin? What are you doing in there? The ROOT guys are..."

"...I'm leaving the group, Suigetsu..." Karin whispered, closing her eyes and Suigetsu blinked.

"Whaa...you're not..."

"I can't stand being here anymore...just tell them you never found me, please..." Karin whispered, pleading at him.

"...heh...okay. But why?"

"Sasuke...he's not the same as before...his chakra...Suigetsu, if you stay with him he might kill you for getting in the way..." Karin replied, looking down.

"Fine...never wanted you here with us anyway," Suigetsu said with a smirk. "You're just annoying...though, stay safe out there. I'll just tell them that Danzo took you out."

"Thanks..." Karin replied, closing her eyes as Suigetsu walked off.

Suigetsu returned to where Sasuke, Jugo, and Madara were. The younger Uchiha looked at him, and looked around for Karin. Jugo was confused.

"Where's Karin, Suigetsu?" Sasuke asked him and he shrugged.

"She's gone, Sasuke. Must have been hit by one of Danzo's men," Suigetsu said. "Looked like she was a pile of mush or something..."

"That's impossible...when I left her she was fine," Sasuke growled and the Swordsman shrugged.

"That's all I found there, Sasuke," Suigetsu said, stretching.

Zetsu came up out of the ground after the Swordsman said that. "**I'm not detecting her chakra, Madara**. And if she's turned into mush, that'll taste gross!"

"I see..." Madara said, putting his hand to his chin. "Well, then, let us return to the Base now to plan our next move...as well as get you ready to receive Itachi's eyes, Sasuke."

Sasuke nodded. "Very well..." _If Karin was weak enough to die like that, I don't need her. I'll find a better sensor and medic..._

With that, Madara sucked Sasuke, Suigetsu, and Jugo into his dimension before disappearing himself. Zetsu sank back into the ground as well, and their presence completely vanished.

Karin, once she felt that she was safe, deactivated her Chakra Suppression Technique and activated Kagura Shingan again. Sensing no one, not even Zetsu, she pulled herself to her feet. Closing her eyes, she panted.

_...I'm heading to Konoha...hopefully I'll get asylum..._ she thought as she begun walking. _I'll tell them everything I know about Madara and Sasuke..._

**Land of Lightning, Boat to the Island**  
Hinata and Tenko were still furiously training to master the first part of the Rasengan. The two were making progress, the Hyuga Heiress being the first of the two to have her water balloon start leaking from a hole made in it from her chakra. Tenko soon followed and the two strove to complete the first part.

Naruto grinned, watching as he kept his legs crossed, still practicing in lengthening his Sage Mode's duration. _I wonder if they have any rubber balls on the ship..._ he thought as he saw a burst of blue chakra come out of Hinata's balloon. _If not, I'll just summon a toad to pick up some for us..._

"Alright...this time I'm going to get it!" Tenko growled, grabbing a new water balloon.

Hinata grabbed another one as well. _I'm not giving up...!_

The two did their own methods, Hinata adding slightly more power to her rotation and Tenko adding new rotations with his other hand. Naruto looked up as both the Hyuga Heiress and young Toad Sage finally pop their balloons this time, splashing water onto the deck and onto themselves.

"I..." Hinata started, her eyes widening.

"We..." Tenko stammered, looking at his now wet hand from the popped water balloon.

"You guys did it!" Naruto grinned, jumping up from the deck. "And faster than I did! Wow!"

Hinata blushed slightly, rubbing the back of her head. "I-It was because of your earlier help, Naruto-kun..."

Naruto hugged her with a grin and Tenko smirked. "What's the next step?"

"Well, you guys should rest a little bit, I got to check if they have any of the tools for the next step," Naruto said and Hinata blushed, feeling the young Hokage's arms around her.

_It...feels so safe here..._ Hinata thought and Naruto grinned, looking down at her.

"The second step is much tougher, Hinata-chan, Tenko, you guys ready for it?"

"Yep!" both Hinata and Tenko said at the same time.

The Kumo Ninja who was targeting Hinata looked on, his eyes narrowed. _Soon...when we're on the island..._

"Hideki, we need your help on the riggings!" a void yelled at him.

"On it!" he yelled back, and moved away. _Soon...I hope you're ready..._

With that, he walked off, back to the other end of the ship.

**Land of Waterfalls, unknown location**  
A group of Taki Ninja were fleeing though a sewer system, occasionally tossing kunai and shuriken back. They had lost 10 of their comrades already, and they were all Jonin...but it didn't seem to matter. Kunai, shuriken, Suitons, explosive tags, nothing seemed to slow..._him_ down. He just came through it with no injuries whatsoever.

"We have to contact Anko-san...he's..." a white snake then ceased the nearest ninja, injecting him with a paralyzing poison causing him to foam at the mouth.

"Kira!" the two others yelled, turning as two more snakes lashed out, biting them right in the neck. They activated with their last strength a few explosive tags...but through the smoke, a cloaked figure with the snakes coming out of his back kept advancing.

"Three more...this should do," he said, moving his hand up to his face...pushing up his glasses. He had purple markings under his eyes, his skin was white and covered in scales. "...its time to make my return...my new powers are working nicely."

Yakushi Kabuto, right hand man of Orochimaru himself had returned. He put a smirk on his face, and squeezed his hand into a tight fist. And then he continued to walk off with the Taki Ninja still coiled by his snakes.

_To Be Continued..._

**Author's Notes:**  
This was a tough chapter for me to write considering how much I powered Danzo up to. However, I was satisfied with the result of Danzo surviving (despite being wounded), but Sasuke winning. Karin's now left Sasuke to join Konoha, and Tenko and Hinata have finished the first step of their Rasengan training. And now...Kabuto is back.

Please read and review.

Jutsu List:  
**Chidori Eiso (Chidori Spear)**, A-Rank, Offensive, Mid-Range: Sasuke creates a Chidori and shapes it into a long blade, can extend up to five meters. Extremely sharp, its capable of cutting through mostly anything.

**Enton: Enko no Yoroi (Blaze Release: Armor of Flame)**, Kekkei Genkai, No Rank, Defensive, Short Range: The user manipulates the flames of Amaterasu around their body or a chakra construct like Susano'o to provide an even greater defense. Even when wrapped around the user's body, due to their fine control of the technique they will not be burned by it, even if the flame shield is broken.

**Futon: Taifubakuha (Wind Release: Typhoon Blast)**, Collaboration Jutsu, A-Rank, Offensive, Long Range: The user slams a massive amount of Futon Chakra into the Baku's body, using the Baku's massive lung capacity and shaping it into hurricane force winds capable of uprooting trees, as well as cutting through them due to the Futon's sharpness.

**Mokuton: Chibaindo Kongen (Wood Release: Thousand Binding Roots)**, Kekkei Genkai, No Rank, Offensive + Supplementary, Mid-Long Range: Similar to the Nara Clan's Kage Nui no Jutsu (Shadow Sewing Technique), the user either pierces or wraps the target up with a thousand roots which either pull down or crush the target.

**Suiton: Akuma Sakana Nami Kurasshu (Water Release: Demon Fish Wave Crash)**, S-Rank, Offensive + Supplementary, Short Range: Suigetsu's strongest technique. Gathering all the water around his body, he's able to form a massive demon fish which is capable of deflecting blows from even the Hachibi no Kyogyū, as well as surviving a point-blank Bijudama due to the Water's 'soft defense' nature.


	10. The Enemy is Dark Naruto: Kyubi Training

Chapter 10: The Enemy is Dark Naruto; Kyubi Training Begins!  
**Konohagakure**  
A few days had past since Naruto had departed with his entourage to the Land of Lightning to the hiding place where Killer Bee was also being kept to begin learning how to tame the Kyubi no Yoko. The village continued to be rebuilt in the aftermath of Pain's Invasion, building up around the newly reconstructed Hokage Tower in the center of the village. Already a few districts had been rebuilt-bare boned, but over the next few days to weeks they'd be fully restored. During that time, Sakura continued to train with Kakashi-who had been put in charge of the village due to Tsunade's coma and Naruto's journey.

In Tsunade's private medical tent, Shizune dabbed fresh, cool water onto her master's forehead. Tsunade's Yin Seal had been completely replenished on her forehead, and it seemed only a matter of time until she regained consciousness. Slowly, Tsunade's eyes began to flutter open and she groaned.

"Shi...zune...?"

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune cheered happily, wrapping her arms around her happily.

"You're squeezing...too tight Shizune..."

Shortly, word spread through the rebuilding village that Tsunade had regained consciousness. Minor celebrations broke out, but had to be stalled due to the rebuilding efforts. News soon reached Sakura and Kakashi who were training in the training field.

"Tsunade-shishiou is conscious again?" Sakura asked happily, lowering her fighting stance.

Kakashi nodded. "So it seems...I have a few questions to ask her."

"Questions?"

"Yes, and to see if she'll retake the position..."

Shortly, at the Godaime's Tent, Tsunade was in the midst of regaining her strength by eating all that she could. She put down the tenth bowl of rice and ate some beef before downing it with her second cup of green tea. Wiping her mouth she offered her bowl to Shizune who was holding a relieved Tonton in her arms.

"You don't have to eat so fast, Tsunade-sama..." Shizune said gently as Tonton oinked in her arms. Tsunade looked over...and seemed to look at the pig and her apprentice's eyes bugged out. "NO! YOU CAN'T EAT TONTON!"

"...what the hell are you talking about?" Tsunade asked after swallowing her food.

"Good to see you're up, Tsunade-sama," Kakashi said as he and Sakura walked in.

"Kakashi, good..." Tsunade said, leaning back in her seat. "Shizune's been telling me several things while I recuperated...so Naruto was named Sixth Hokage while I was unconscious by Daimyo-sama? There's a Allied Shinobi Forces now and the other Kages made him the leader?"

"Right on both counts," Kakashi said, leaning back. "Its because of Naruto we even have our military force back. He defeated Pain's six bodies and convinced their controller to change his ways."

"That Naruto...that special power of his never ceases to amaze me," Tsunade said, closing her eyes and she breathed out. "While he's hidden from Akatsuki, I'll resume my duties as Hokage."

"That's good, I can't handle all that paperwork. I'm better on the field," Kakashi said as he leaned back. "Something surprising also happened?"

"A young man, around Naruto's and Sakura's ages was found at Myobokuzan. He had Jiraiya-sama's appearance, but was far younger and calls himself Tenko...and he claimed to be Jiraiya-sama's and yours' son," Kakashi said and Tsunade looked down.

"He's telling the truth...so he finally left Myobokuzan?" Tsunade asked and the Copy Ninja nodded. "And he never got to meet Jiraiya...damn it."

"Why didn't you bring him off the mountain sooner?" Kakashi asked her and Tsunade breathed out.

"That stupid prophecy that the Elder Toad Sage had...and I wasn't fit to be a mother for a long time," Tsunade closed her eyes tightly. "Despite visiting him every month until Jiraiya's death...I didn't take him down from it. I didn't take him to Konoha to meet his father..." she squeezed her hand into a tight fist and Shizune put her hand on her sensei's shoulder. "...I have to make it up to him when I see him again. Is he still in Konoha?"

"No, he went with Naruto, Hinata, Yamato, Aoba, and Gai to Kumogakure's hiding place," Kakashi replied and the Godaime nodded.

"...my apology will have to wait then," Tsunade said, closing her eyes. She glanced at Sakura. "And how is your training going since I lost consciousness?"

"Kakashi-sensei has been giving me one-on-one training, Tsunade-shishou," Sakura replied, rubbing the back of her head. "He's been helping me increase my stamina, taijutsu, and ninjutsu."

Tsunade nodded. "I see. When I'm free I'll start training you again, Sakura. I still have a few more things to teach you."

"I look forward to it shishou!"

Tsunade smiled and she stood up. "I'll continue eating in my office. Shizune, get me a rundown of the crucial files from level of importance by the time I get there."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama!" Shizune said, running out of the tent carrying Tonton in her arms.

Tsunade took a deep breath and walked out of the tent afterwards with Kakashi and Sakura following. Her mind was on her son who was again far away from her, on Naruto, and on the upcoming War that she needed to prepare the Village for as best she could.

**Land of Lightning**  
On the boat in the Land of Lightning, it was about mid afternoon and Naruto, Hinata, and Tenko were still training. The young Rokudaime Hokage had increased his duration in Sage Mode to ten minutes now and the Hyuga Heiress and young Toad Sage were on the second step of the Rasengan training. Naruto had summoned a toad to get the bags of rubber balls for the second step of training. Along the way, the three learned about the Hachibi Jinchuriki, Killer Bee from the Kumo Shinobi on the ship, unknowingly that one of them was after Hinata's life. The Captain, a shinobi of middle age began talking to Naruto about Killer Bee when they got closer and closer to the island.

"Killer Bee-sama is a hero among heroes in Kumogakure," the Captain said with a grin as Naruto listened. "He's the only one able to in all of our village's history to control the wild bull that the Hachibi no Kyogyū is!"

Naruto grinned. "He must be pretty amazing to do so...what does the Hachibi look like?"

"It has the torso of a four horned bull with two huge fists on its muscular frame, and its tails are eight octopus tentacles. It is virtually impossible to injure, only attacks that carry a high cutting power or massive area effect are even possible to damaging it," the one eyed scarred Captain said and Naruto noticed a scar on the Captain's face. "I got this 30 years ago when the Hachibi was still a raging bull. Part of the Elite that the Sandaime Raikage formed to restrain the bull for sealing."

"Wow, that sounds awesome!" Naruto said with a grin. He stood up. "And what else is this Killer Bee guy like?"

"Well he's a rapper, though he's taken to enka now...and he was strong enough to foil two attempts from Akatsuki to kidnap him. Wish Yugito-san was as lucky though..."

"Yugito?" Naruto asked as Hinata and Tenko continued to try to add power to their rotation to pop the rubber balls. "Whose she?"

"She was the Jinchuriki of the Nibi no Bakeneko, the Two-Tailed Monster Cat. She endured a harsh training regime different to the method Killer Bee-sama took to control the Nibi, and she succeeded. She was able to nearly fully control the Cat, and was able to transform into it at will," the Captain said breathing out. "She was intelligent, beautiful, and extremely powerful. Everyone in the village, even Killer Bee-sama looked up to her. During the Third Shinobi World War, she stayed behind enemy lines and destroyed Kirigakure's shipping lanes when they were gearing up for an invasion of the Land of Lightning. She sunk a fleet of 41 ships by transforming into the Nibi, including taking out two of the Seven Swordsmen when they attacked her."

Naruto's eyes widened. "My team fought Zabuza when we were still newly minted genin, and Kisame Hoshigaki nearly took my legs...Yugito-san killed two of them?"

"Yes..." the Captain said, breathing out. "Her loss was a great blow to our village..."

Naruto nodded. "...I can bet..."

Shortly Naruto walked over to the guard railing of the ship, looking out to the sea. Closing his eyes, he breathed out remembering the treatment Gaara went through...wishing he could have met more Jinchuriki and helped them like he did with the Kazekage. Learning of the accomplishments Yugito and Killer Bee had made in Kumo made him feel a little better, but he wished he could have met the Nibi's Jinchuriki before she was captured.

Hinata looked at him while trying to get her rubber ball to blow up from her chakra, before lowering her hand as she walked over. Tenko glanced over, doing Naruto's method and trying to get the ball to burst.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, putting her hand on Naruto shoulder.

"I'm just thinking...about the other Jinchuriki," he said, breathing out. "...how many of them suffered through the same thing Gaara and I did? And this Killer Bee guy and I are the last two..." he smashed his fist into the railing, making it clang. "Damn it..."

Hinata breathed in at that. "Its not your fault, Naruto-kun..."

"...damn it I know but it feels like it!" Naruto said, putting his hand to his head and breathing out. "It feels like I failed them...that I failed to get to know them...that I failed to make them feel better about things..."

Hinata wrapped her arms around Naruto from behind, making him look up in shock. "Its not your fault, Naruto-kun...it never was. You had no way of knowing where the other jinchuriki were or who they were..." she said, closing her eyes and hugging him tighter. "No matter how much it hurts...you can't save or befriend everyone...you didn't fail them Naruto-kun. You don't have to blame yourself."

Naruto turned to her and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close. "Thank you...Hinata-chan...thank you..." The two looked at each other, their faces instinctively moving closer after a second...

And then...behind them, a large white tentacle began to rise and Tenko glanced over and he blinked. _Nah, I'm seeing..._

And then a massive squid, easily three times the size of the ship rose out of the water making Hinata and Naruto jump apart, seeing its massive eye looking at them.

"W-W-What is that?" Hinata and Naruto gasped as the Captain ran on deck.

"Crap, the squid that's guarding the island...I hoped we would bypass it!" he yelled as one of the tentacles slammed onto the deck. "This is bad...we're so close!"

Naruto looked up at the giant squid and began counting the tentacles. _Ten...the Captain said that Killer Bee has eight tentacles in his full form. Good, I can go all out!_ Hinata and Naruto jumped back from one of the giant tentacles and the young Hokage closed his eyes, focusing for several seconds. His eyes shot open as he entered Sage Mode, the reddish-orange outline surrounding his eyes and his blue purple turned yellow and square resembling a frog.

Tenko leaped out of the way of another tentacle and he performed two seals. "Ninpo: Hari Jizō (Ninja Art: Needle Jizo)!" as one wrapped around him. The squid cried out after Tenko's white hair had grown out and surrounded him in a powerful defense, becoming as hard as steel.

Naruto leaped at one of the tentacles and grabbed it. Despite the suckers anchoring it down, he lifted it right up and yanked the giant squid right out of the water with no effort! Just as he did the water exploded next to the ship, followed by a giant fist as well as another giant looming shape. Dark brown tentacles grabbed the squid's mantle.

"**Squid, go deviate; the rest I abbreviate!**" The massive Hachibi no Kyogyū roared, smashing its giant fist into the massive squid which sent it flying away.

HinaKyogyūKyogyūta's eyes widened. _The...the chakra of this thing...its incredible...!_ She activated her Byakugan and saw the massive Hachibi's chakra system. _This...this is a biju's power...its...unreal..._

"Killer Bee-sama!" the Captain said with a grin.

"That's...Killer Bee?" Tenko asked, blinking as the Hachibi form shrank to a tall, dark skinned man wearing sun glasses with platinum blond hair and a goatee mustache. He was wearing the standard Kumo Jonin uniform, as well as eight swords on his back...including Samehada.

Naruto grinned. "That was awesome! We were handling it, but thanks!"

"No problem yo, I'm just on vacation because of my bro!" Bee said and he grinned, taking out his notebook and his pen to begin thinking of new lyrics, the 'dattebayo' coming up again. "Hm...that one is no good..." he said, crossing it out.

"Well...I've heard a lot about you Bee-san!" Naruto said with a grin.

"Yeah, yeah, you're that new kid Hokage right?"

"Yep!" Naruto said and he grinned. Bee grinned back, flipping the book back as the ship pulled into port.

Naruto, Hinata, and Tenko looked at the massive island, surrounded by spikes-a few of which had carcasses of dead giant fish on them. The young Hokage sweat dropped at the sight.

_This is a paradise huh?_ He thought, remembering the great Toad Sage's words.

Gai, Aoba, and Yamato walked back on deck, Aoba supporting the taijutsu specialist as he groggily looked around. Yamato sighed, rubbing the base of his nose and he looked to see Killer Bee for the first time, blinking.

"So...he's the Killer Bee that the Kumo Ninja have been telling us all about?"

Naruto grinned. "Yeah! You missed it Yamato-taicho, he transformed into the full Hachibi and smashed a huge ass squid away with a huge punch!"

_He can really control the Hachibi...then he can help Naruto..._ Yamato thought, breathing out in relief at that.

On the spiked cliffs of the island, a man in a Kumo Jonin outfit with long sleeves appeared, as well as arm guards and a white scarf around his neck like Killer Bee's.. He had a black line on his nose and black spiky hair pointing in opposite directions.

"I'm Motoi, former ANBU captain. I'm your supervisor here, Hokage-sama," the man said, leaning his hand onto the cliff wall. "Follow me to your lodgings."

Soon, they were on the island itself, walking through its vast forests. The flora and fauna were amazing, Naruto, Hinata, and Tenko even saw a few giant bugs hovering in the air above them. Then a massive gorilla, at least 12 meters tall bounded in and roared in challenge, sending most the the shinobi on the defensive. It had a battle scar over its left eye and a large one down its chest.

"Whoa..." Naruto said, his eyes widening as Bee stepped forward.

"Calm down King-chan! They're with me!" Bee said with a grin, and the gorilla, King instantly calmed down and bent down to ground level.

Hinata blinked. "Its...like how Akamaru-kun is..."

"Bee-sama has gotten to know and tamed all the beasts on this island," Motoi said as the Hachibi Jinchuriki and King pounded their fists together. "This place is safe as long as he's here."

"Amazing..." Tenko said.

"There is also a sensor barrier we Kumogakure Shinobi maintain around the island. We know immediately if anything approaches..." Motoi went on and Yamato nodded, looking over.

"So he...really has learned to control the Hachibi?" Hinata asked the island dwelling Shinobi.

"Yes, he's Kumogakure's Hero of Heroes, someone who not only controls these beasts..." Motoi replied as Bee and King gave each other a thumb's up. "But even the Hachibi no Kyogyū is completely under his control. He's a jinchuriki, just like you Hokage-sama..."

Naruto breathed in. _Incredible..._

Bee and King exchanged another fist bump, and he went. "Yo."

"This island...is where he trained to gain control over the Hachibi," Motoi said and Naruto nodded.

After a little more traveling, they reached one of the few buildings on the massive island. Three massive boulders had been hollowed out and converted into a very nice living place with five huge windows, in the middle building was one that went around the top entirely. The entrance had the Hachibi's skull carved into it.

Naruto explained the final step of the Rasengan to Hinata and Tenko-combining both rotation and power after they got the second step down. He then went to ask Bee to train him.

He knocked on Bee's door, and Killer Bee answered a few seconds later. "Ah...you're that kid Hokage. Whatcha want, an autograph or something?"

"I need you to train me," Naruto replied, breathing in.

"Train you?" Bee asked, confused.

"I'm the Kyubi Jinchuriki, but I'm not able to control him yet..." Naruto said, breathing out. "So please teach me how to control a Biju!"

"What? No way, I came here because my brother Raikage ordered me to get a vacation! Why should I give up that rare vacation for the likes of you?" Bee replied and Naruto shrugged, and growled.

"Because you're a jinchuriki like me Bee-san! Why can't you help me out?"

"Ya got a big attitude...ya changin' ya point o'view, kay?" Bee replied and Naruto grinned.

"Your glasses are cool, you ain't nobody's fool, I came here to go to school!" Naruto said moving with the beat. "Yeah boy!"

After a few seconds of awkward pausing, Bee grinned. "That's pretty solid beat kid!"

_Yeah! He fell for it!_

Killer Bee offered his fist after. "You gotta learn the proper greeting fist bump! Bust a rhyme in time!"

Naruto blinked, but pushed his fist against Killer Bee's. "Your sunglasses are cool, you look like a tool-!" At that, Bee's attitude went sour and the young Hokage frowned and crossed his fingers. _Hāremu no Jutsu! I'll show him!_ and in several puffs of smoke there were naked, beautiful blonds, their private parts obscured by smoke who latched onto Killer Bee's arms and shoulders. "Pleeaaaasee mista, help out a sista...?" _How's that? No man alive can resist this technique!_

However, Killer Bee just closed the door on him looking confused out of his mind, trying to comprehend a technique like that. Naruto puffed back to normal, dispelling the clones.

"Son of a bitch!" Naruto growled, slapping his hand to his face. _I know, I'll ask Motoi-san!_

Naruto went to Motoi's room, knocking on the door while grumbling to himself. The island's keeper opened the door, looking at him.

"Oh, Hokage-sama, do you need something?" Motoi asked.

"Tell me how Killer Bee-san learned how to control the Hachibi!" Naruto replied, sounding exasperated. "I'm here to train!"

"Ahh...Bee-sama's training regiment..."

Naruto explained the problem to Motoi, saying that Bee wouldn't train him despite both of them being Jinchuriki. Motoi grasped the young Hokage's shirt and lifted him up, telling him that he should know what Bee had gone through. After calming down and releasing his shirt, he told Naruto that Bee must have seen something that he was missing, and then agreed to bring him to the place where Bee trained.

Yamato offered to accompany them, curious on how Naruto would be training. He also wanted to be sure the Kyubi's chakra didn't run amok in case the efforts failed-with Hashirama's necklace repaired he'd be able to at leas suppress the chakra. Motoi agreed and lead both of them out of the house, heading into the forests of the island.

**Mountain's Grave**  
Suigetsu and Jugo were dressed in their new Akatsuki cloaks, having been made full members now. They were waiting for Sasuke to be discharged from his surgery, having received Itachi's eyes to prevent his blindness. Jugo was talking with the local animals, learning that this place was where giant summons came to die. Suigetsu was now grinning, practicing with the Kubikiribocho, slashing through the air.

"Yeah, it feels real good for this to be full again!"

Slashing the air again, he brought the blade down and flicked it upwards, slashing through another target. Jugo watched somewhat boredly, more focused in talking with the animals.

"Shame Karin isn't here," Jugo said, leaning back after letting a bird fly off his fingers.

"Yeah, but she was really slowing us down," Suigetsu said, sheathing his Kubikiribocho back onto his back. "Sure she was a medic and a sensor, but she couldn't fight for crap!"

"...indeed...though she was a good planner," Jugo added, leaning back and he squeezed his hand into a tight fist, still remembering the dozens of cuts he received facing that woman ROOT member.

Inside the room, Madara stepped back. "Now don't move too quickly. It'll take a bit for your body to adjust to the new power in your eyes. And you'll need several weeks to train your new eyes."

"...very well..." Sasuke then started chuckling, lifting his hand up to his bandaged eyes. "I can feel Itachi's power surging through me!"

Madara nodded and he smirked behind his mask. He walked out of the room, leaving Sasuke under the watch of Zetsu. Jugo and Suigetsu straightened up when he walked out of the room and he acknowledged them.

Walking out under the ribcage arch that lead below the grave. He then sensed something and heard the low hiss of a snake. Glancing up he saw a hooded man with a snake sliding out of his cloak like a tail.

"Hello Tobi, or are you going by Madara now a days?"

"Yakushi Kabuto, I'm surprised you found me here...and it looks like you've become an even greater freak," Madara said and Kabuto smirk.

"This coming from a man who has super powered eyes and a body made of white goo?" Kabuto retorted and Madara's eyes narrowed. "Yes, I know quite a bit about you...Orochimaru left a lot of information. I daresay if he had taken control of Sasuke-kun, he'd have come after you."

Madara's eyes narrowed. "You are a traitor to Akatsuki...it is about time you are dealt with."

Kabuto smirked. "If you believe you can..."

The Uchiha Founder's visible eye swished into his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, three opened tomoes which were all connected together around a black pupil. Three black lines appeared, branching out from each tomoe, two pointing upwards to the sides and one pointing down. With that, he leaped onto the

"Tsukuyomi!" Madara said and Orochimaru's right hand man met his gaze without fear.

Kabuto found himself in a red world, looking around. "So this is your Tsukuyomi..." his body began burning up. "I can see its very powerful...however..."

His blood vessels shot up under his snake-like eyes, his old blood activating. Like a plain of glass cracking, several cracks began appearing in the illusion, the 'shards' of the red sky crashing down around Kabuto. A sickly purplish-red chakra aura burst around his body, and then the entire Tsukuyomi broke apart.

"...it is still not strong enough to put me down," Kabuto finished as Madara snarled, kunai dropping into his hands as he launched himself at him.

Kabuto leaped out of the way of Madara's slash and blocked one of his kicks with his snake tail. The Uchiha Founder spun in the air and landed on his feet on the ribcage arch before launching himself again. Orochimaru's right hand landed on the ground and did a few seals before slamming his palms together.

_What...no that's impossible!_ Madara thought as the ground rumbled a bit.

"Kuchiyoise: Edo Tensei (Summoning Technique: Impure World Resurrection)!" Kabuto said with a smirk and five stone coffins then raised out of the ground and the covers fell open revealing the black cloaked deceased Akatsuki Members...Sasori...Deidara...Kakuzu...Uchiha Itachi...and even Nagato. "A group of powerful men like this would surely help your war effort, correct?"

Madara straightened up. "What...what are you talking about?"

"Oh, I didn't come here to fight Madara. I came here to offer you my services. You are heading off to War, correct?" Kabuto asked him with a smirk.

"...why are you doing this? What's in this for you?"

"Oh, I just need a young Uchiha like Sasuke to discover the true secrets of ninjutsu and chakra," Kabuto said with a smirk. "And to get you to comply..."

A sixth coffin raised from the ground, and the when it opened Madara's eyes widened. "How did you get this...?"

"Oh, don't worry, I haven't told anyone..."

"You're...you're a madman..."

"So...do we have a deal?" Kabuto asked him with a smirk. Madara regained his composure, and he began chuckling. "What's so funny?"

"Kabuto, I never imagined you'd have this much potential, if I'd known I'd have recruited you long ago," Madara said with a smirk behind his mask. "Very well, we have a deal. Though I won't turn Sasuke over until _after_ the War."

"Of course," Kabuto said, his own smirk reappearing. The coffin's covers slammed back up and then all six sank back into the ground.

"Good, now lets formalize our war plans," Madara said and both he and his new partner turned and walked under the ribcage arch and back into the grave.

From the edge of the grave, Mitarashi Anko's pursuit team had found another body sharing all the same traits that were with the others. Four puncture marks on its neck, looking like it was both poisoned and strangled. Anko put her hand to her chin, thinking.

_Why is Kabuto leading us here...?_ she glanced at the Hyuga on her team. "Tokuma, activate your Byakugan and extend to the maximum range."

"Hai Anko-taichou!" Tokuma did the seals, and the veins bulged around his eyes. Next to Neji's and Hinata's Byakugans, his was the strongest in the Hyuga Clan, even stronger than Hiashi's. "I see Kabuto...he's...he's walking with Madara! It looks like they're working together!"

"Send word to Headquarters and make camp!" Anko ordered and she bit her thumb. "Kuchiyoise no Jutsu!"

Slamming her palm down, she summoned her personal snake. It was huge, half the size of Manda. It looked down at her, its tongue slithering out.

"Alright Shiraki, we need a camp. Please dig us a cave!"

"...very well, Mistress," Shiraki said and it dove into the dirt and began digging a cave.

Anko breathed in, glancing at the direction. She felt a cold chill, and squeezed her hand into a tight fist.

-  
**Island Turtle, Falls of Truth**  
On the Island Turtle, Motoi had led Naruto and Yamato to the place where Killer Bee trained to control the Hachibi. There was a waterfall pouring down the cliff face, and there was a small lake around the falls with a tiny island right in the center. Naruto looked around, breathing in.

"So this is where Bee trained, Motoi-san?" Naruto asked, glancing back at the island guide.

"Hai, Hokage-sama, welcome to the Falls of Truth," Motoi replied.

"Bee-san learned to control the Hachibi here, Motoi?"

"Yes and no...we're not exactly at the 'control' step," Motoi replied as he walked onto the water. "Sit here and close your eyes, Naruto-sama. Then you'll see who you truly are inside."

Naruto nodded. "...alright," he said, breathing out and he hopped onto the small island. He sat down, closing his eyes and he breathed in.

"**Making us Hokage just because the old lady is out of it...**" a voice said from the falls and Naruto looked up.

"Huh?"

"**After all that crap we went through, this was supposed to be our consolation prize?**" from the Falls, someone looking exactly like Naruto...but with shadows over his eyes appeared. "**What a bunch of assholes...**"

Naruto's eyes widened, and he saw right before him...a dark version of himself. The aura about him...looked almost exactly like Sasuke's. The young Hokage stood up and stepped back in shock.

"Who the hell are you?"

"**I'm who you **_**really **_**are!**"

_To Be Continued..._

Author's Notes:  
Sorry for the long wait. I've been having computer problems, and the site wasn't cooperating last week. I hope this was worth the wait. Next time...Kyubi training really begins.


	11. Defeat Dark Naruto! Version 1 Training S

Chapter 11: Defeat Dark Naruto! Version 1 Training Starts!  
**Falls of Truth, Island Turtle, Land of Lightning**  
Naruto stared in shock at the near identical version of him standing right in front of him. 'Dark' Naruto looked up, smirking, his eyes were permanently shaded black. He was dressed the same way as Naruto, complete with the Hokage Robes.

"**Up until now, we were treated like outcasts,**" Dark Naruto said with a smirk.

"...you're...the real me?"

"**Exactly. I'm the you you've kept deep in your heart...**"

"What the hell are you talking about? I don't know you, stop talking nonsense!"

"**They call this place the 'Falls of Truth' don't they? To think this could bring me to the surface...**" Dark Naruto replied with a grin and Naruto looked at him in puzzlement. "**...basically, I'm the truth inside you. The **_**real**_** you. I'm the hatred you hold dear, I'm your darkness!**" Naruto looked at him in shock at that. "**If I made one mistake...its letting myself recklessly catch the eye of Kyubi!**"

"You..." Naruto said, realizing what that meant, recalling Gerotara's words.

_"The Kyubi's will is a mass of hatred...no matter how hard ya try ta fight it, it'll join with the hatred that's hiding inside your heart and hijack it!"_

_All this time...he's been working with the Kyubi...nearly allowing it to break free!_Naruto thought, orange pigmentation creeping around his eyes and his blue irises turned yellow, and his pupil changed into a block instead of a circle, signifying he had entered Sage Mode.

"**That's right! I'm the real you, and you can't get rid of me impostor!**" Dark Naruto said, entering Sage Mode as well and he grinned, charging at Naruto at super speed and drawing a punch.

Naruto blocked, the two entering Frog Kata range. Whatever punch or kick the other tried, the invisible blows always missed or collided at each other, sending out a shockwave across the entire pool. The two were a blur, trading and blocking blows before leaping back, creating a clone and a Rasengan and slamming them into each other causing a massive explosion which sent them sliding back.

_He knows my every move!_ Naruto thought, narrowing his eyes and charging Dark Naruto again.

He blocked Dark Naruto's punch before launching a kick which missed. Dark Naruto grinned, moving up to knee Naruto who slammed his palm down and launched himself up into the air. Dark Naruto leaped up to follow and the two traded blows in the sky, Naruto creating three clones and created a Futon: Rasenshuriken and his dark counterpart did the same. Both of them launched their Rasenshurikens and the two impacted, creating a massive wind-sphere that blew them back to the ground.

Naruto and Dark Naruto panted, glaring at each other. Instantly, they crossed their fingers again and yelled out 'Tayju Kage Bushin no Jutsu', creating nearly 300 clones each on either side of their fighting area. Each clone was in Sage Mode and the miniature armies attacked each other.

And then Naruto's eyes opened and he fell forward, breathing out. He then realized...he was back in front of the falls, his Dark self no where to be seen, and Yamato and Motoi were behind him on the other side of the pool of water.

"Naruto!" Yamato said, leaping over to him. "What happened?"

"I was...fighting myself...well...a dark version of myself. I couldn't beat him...he knew every one of my moves..." Naruto said, panting slightly. "The battle wouldn't end! We were perfectly even!"

"If you don't beat him, you won't be able to use Kyubi's power..."

"Damn it...how am I supposed to beat someone whose like me?"

"Your guess is as good as mine..." Motoi replied, rubbing the back of his head.

"Wait...Bee-san trained here too, didn't he? If I...wait..." Naruto sighed, shaking his head. "No, judging from his attitude he'd turn me down again..."

"Probably not..." Motoi said and the young Hokage frowned.

_Did he have darkness inside him too?_ Naruto thought, closing his eyes. "Motoi-san, can you tell me the story behind Killer Bee? Like how he grew up or something about his character? Maybe I can find some kind of hint! I might be able to figure out how he and I are different!"

_If you're a Jinchuriki too...you can guess what sort of life that entails!_ Motoi thought, remembering the conversation. _Yeah, I __**do**__, and that guy should be able to guess how hard its been for me too! So why isn't he helping me? Even though I'm struggling?_

He closed his eyes for a second, and breathed out. "I don't like prattling on about other people...but Naruto-sama, since you are a Jinchuriki just like Bee-san, and since stabilizing the Kyubi is crucial for world peace...alright."

"Thanks!" Naruto said with a grin.

"As I said earlier...that since you're a jinchuriki as well, you should be able to guess what sort of life Bee-san had. And as you might guess...great power gave birth to ill will," Motoi started as Naruto looked at him. "All the villagers hated, feared and avoided Bee-san...but he didn't get distressed on complain. He was always cheerful and determined-wanting to make his big brother proud of him, so he gave off an aura of calm. More than that...perhaps because he was ashamed to be a jinchuriki, he was always striving to attract and appeal to people. The way I see it, it seems he liked expressing his pride. As to the question why he had so much pride...that's probably because...of his big brother, the Raikage A-sama, like I said before."

Naruto and Yamato were both silent at that and Motoi took a seat, closing his eyes.

"In order to ensure that the Jinchuriki wouldn't turn traitor, its been common since long ago to chose among the spouses and siblings of the five Kages, or other blood relatives. The strength of the Jinchuriki served to protect the Kage, the head of the Village, as well as serving as a display of the Kage's power," Motoi continued. "Bee-san probably wanted to become a great Jinchuriki for his brother's sake..." he glanced at the Falls and smiled. "It seems he completed his training in a blink of an eye...I respect Bee from the bottom of my heart. I see him as a hero of Kumogakure."

"To think a Jinchuriki could be so beloved, Bee-san's a great guy isn't he?" Yamato asked with a grin. "And you...able to empathize with with a jinchuriki...its no wonder why you were put in charge of this place."

Motoi looked down, losing the smile he had before. He closed his eyes tightly, thinking if he should continue.

"That's it! Motoi-san, can you ask Bee-san in my place? About the trick to the training?"

"No...I can't do that..." Motoi said, breathing out.

"What? Why not?" Naruto asked.

"I'm not qualified to do that," Motoi admitted, looking down as the young Hokage and Yamato looked at him, puzzled. "I tried to kill Bee-san."

"WHAT?" Naruto asked in shock, not expecting that. "But didn't you say you respected him?"

Motoi closed his eyes shamefully, looking away. He squeezed his hand into a tight fist, breathing out.

"Seems there must be special circumstances..." Yamato said gently, the Warden staying silent for a few minutes.

"So...what the heck are they?"

"So this is my confessional...I suppose I can tell you, a Jinchuriki like Bee...about that incident..."

"What incident?" Naruto asked.

"...it was 30 years ago..."

_Thirty years ago, in Kumogakure, there was a massive snorting roar, like a wild bull was on the loose. The Hachibi no Kyogyū had smashed through half the village, only recently being restrained by heavy chains by many shinobi._ "None of our jinchuriki could fully control the Hachibi...back then, the Ox would reduce the village to rubble. Each time, the Sandaime Raikage and an elite cadre of fighters would hold the beast back..." _The special troops that the Raikage brought were restraining the giant ox, a younger A had activated his Raiton no Yoroi and had a grip on two chains while his father, the Sandaime Raikage got a strange pot into position. He gritted his teeth, his lightning aura flaring as he increased to maximum power. One shinobi, who looked like an elder version of Motoi with glasses tightened his grip on the chain he was using to restrain the Ox, and he was pulling it dwon as much as he could. In retaliation, the Hachibi turned its rage onto him and slammed one of his giant horns right through the man's chest, impaling him and killing him instantly. A retaliated in kind, releasing his hold on the chains and leaping at the Hachibi. With one stroke down, he cut off the Ox's horn and smashed it to the ground, stunning it long enough for the Sandaime to complete his preparations. Making a seal and yelling out, the Hachibi was then sucked right into the pot._

"Somehow the Ox would be sealed back into the traditional Kohaku no Johei-the Amber Sealing Pot...but those battles cost so many good men and women their lives. But even with the risks, we needed the Hachibi to avoid being overpowered by other villages. So we continued experimenting, trying to find a Jinchuriki..." Motoi continued, taking a seat as he leaned back. _The man who looked like an elder Motoi was being lifted up by A, his breathing already stopped. Next to them was the Hachibi's massive horn which had impaled him._ "One of those many victims...was my father."

"S-So Bee-san killed your father, and you..." Yamato started as both Naruto and him reacted in shock to what he said.

"No, no," Motoi said, looking down as he remembered the past. Near a kunai target range, a young Motoi was playing with a young boy with dark skin and white hair, wearing black glasses and a scarf around his neck. The two were wearing the same black clothing that training ninja wore in Kumogakure. "Bee-san was a friend, we were only five when my father died. He had already been chosen to be 'B' to Raikage-sama's 'A' for the Double Lariat back then..." _The young Bee and Motoi prepared a fist bump, like A had shown him, only to have Bee escorted away by two older ninja. Young Motoi looked on in confusion when that happened._ "The Jinchuriki, whose power had gone out of control when he unleashed more than two tails during a training exercise was Bee's cousin. He died when the Hachibi was pulled out of his body and resealed."

Motoi continued the story, explaining how Bee tried to comfort him by bringing flowers to his father's grave. At that time, Bee had been chosen to be the next Jinchuriki almost immediately, but the Island's Warden had held a grudge against the Hachibi then, but not Bee. Yamato asked why he tried to kill him, and he explained he thought no one would be able to control the Ox. His fear and hatred, after seeing his mother's state day after day grew, and he convinced himself to avenge his father.

Bee's carefree attitude also didn't help things...he hated his constant smile. He thought if he could kill Bee, he could kill the Hachibi. One day Motoi went to try to kill him, even getting behind him with a kunai but Bee effortlessly disarmed him...and seemed to recognize him. Even offering a smile and a fist bump.

"...then what changed your opinion? Why do you respect him so much?" Yamato asked.

"My hatred didn't simply disappear...I continued to watch him, putting him under constant surveillance. But I wasn't the only one," Motoi looked at Naruto who blinked. "The other villagers had no sympathy for Bee-san, they detested him. It didn't matter he was chosen by the government to be a jinchuriki, nor that he protected the village...they shunned him. He lived a very difficult life, and his suffering was worse than mine."

Naruto closed his eyes and Yamato blinked. "Why are you...?"

"Maybe I'm just saying this to Naruto-sama because he is a Jinchuriki...instead of telling Bee-san himself," Motoi breathed out. "Someday, I really need to tell him...to make amends."

_**Bastard, he's just using me!**_ Dark Naruto yelled in Naruto's mind...and he began to walk off.

"Naruto, where are you..."

"...I need to be alone for a while..."

At the same time, near Bee's house, Hinata and Tenko were still training. They were both standing near piles of popped rubber balls, but they still hadn't been able to make it explode like Naruto shown them. The Hyuga Heiress breathed in, grasping another ball and she began doing it again. Adding the chakra rotation, and then adding the power...

...then there was a big pop, and her rubber ball exploded, sending Hinata skidding back and her eyes widened in shock. Tenko slammed one more rotation with power into his rubber ball, and got the same time.

"We did it!" they cheered and Hinata grinned, and she felt a little woozy. "Hinata? Are you alright?"

"Yes...yes fine," Hinata said, smiling softly as she straightened herself up.

"You've probably used too much chakra...go find Naruto and tell him how we're doing! You can take a break, I bet he'll love to see you."

Hinata smiled, rubbing the back of her head and she winced seeing the burns on her hands from her chakra. "I guess your right...we're on the final step. I can afford a break now..."

Hinata reached into her pack and brought out a jar of her improved wound ointment. She applied it to her burns, and steam seemed to waft up from her hand as she slowly wrapped it in bandages. When it was secured, she grabbed her pack and activated her Byakugan, stretching it out to 10 kilometers and locating Naruto on the edge of the island, and a tear of blood went down her cheek. She jumped up and shunshined away after reaching the nearest branch, leaving Tenko to continue his training.

She found Naruto shortly, sitting and looking at the sea, sitting one one of the massive spikes as waves crashed up. He was deep in thought.

_Everyone used to hate me...and now I'm a hero..._ he thought, closing his eyes as he remembered Gaara's past. _Gaara had it worse than me...and now he's Kazekage._ "Now they have faith in Bee-san...the village trusted Gaara enough to be Kazekage...and I'm Hokage now." _Plus...I have Iruka-sensei! And all my friends! And Hinata-chan!_ **After years of ostracizing us...** _...Hinata-chan never did that. Iruka-sensei neither..._ _**I'm your **__**true**__** self. What really resides in your heart.**_ _I've never felt that way before consciously...but some deep part inside of me..._ "I'm not sure they really trust me..." he whispered at the end of his thoughts.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, walking over as he looked up. "Are you okay?"

"Hinata-chan..." Naruto said as she walked over, taking a seat next to him. He looked down. "...I'm...fine...how's your training with the Rasengan going?"

"...I completed the second step," Hinata said, putting her bandaged hand onto Naruto's shoulder. "Are you sure you're alright, Naruto-kun? You can tell me..."

"...I met...my real self," Naruto said, closing his eyes and Hinata blinked.

"Your real self...?" Hinata asked him and he squeezed his hand into a fist.

"...I have...all this anger and rage deep down inside of me. Its what Kyubi feeds on and takes control of when I use its power...and I don't know if I can beat him."

"But you can!" Hinata said and Naruto looked at her. "You've never given up before, Naruto-kun! You always stand up and move forward. Even if you have dark inside you, you can beat it! I know you can!"

Naruto blinked at Hinata's word's of encouragement...feeling a warmth from her. He...smiled. "Thanks Hinata-chan...I'll..."

Before he could continue they heard a yell and they looked down to see Yamato on his knees as the massive giant squid held Motoi in its huge tentacles. Both stood up quickly as the warden struggled to release the massive suckers.

"Motoi-san!" Naruto yelled as Yamato looked over.

"Naruto, Hinata, FORMATION C!"

"Right!" Naruto said, counting the tentacles a bit to be sure.

Naruto created a Kage Bushin and started to create a Rasengan as Hinata activated her Byakugan. Yamato did several seals and extended his hand, a wood protrusion shooting out.

"Mokuton: Mokusatsu Shibari no Jutsu (Wood Release: Smothering Binding Technique)!" He yelled, the wood wrapping around several tentacles and the squid's main body.

Hinata saw the weak points of the tentacle that held Motoi, and blood trickled down her cheeks as she drew her hand back. "Hakke Kuken (Eight Trigrams Empty Blade)!"

Dropping her hand down, a vacuum blade shot from her hand and she cut through the tentacle, slicing through it as Naruto ran onto the wooden rampart that Yamato created, Rasengan in hand. However, just before he was about to contact several dark tentacles wrapped around the squid's body and and the water exploded as a massive fist smashed out.

"**Big Eight-T is back in the sea! Here to get rid of the punk ass squid!**" Bee, in full Hachibi form roared, smashing his fist right into the giant squid's mantle as Motoi landed on his feet after Hinata had cut the tentacle.

"Bee-san!" Naruto said cheerfully, leaping off the rampart as it splintered and shattered from the Hachibi Jinchuriki's blow.

Hinata deactivated her Byakugan, feeling a bit dizzy but she grinned, putting her hand to her head. She quickly wiped her eyes to get the blood off, breathing out. Shortly, Bee transformed and stood on the rock spike that they were all standing on.

"Bee-san...you knew, didn't you? You knew I tried to kill you..." Motoi whispered, looking down and the Hyuga Heiress blinked at that.

There was a tense moment following that...but Bee just grinned and offered his fist. "Say what? You did?"

Motoi looked at him in shock...and a few tears began falling. "Bee...you..." 

And then he bumped their fists together, Naruto grinning happily.

After the incident with the squid, Naruto, Hinata, Killer Bee, Motoi, and Yamato were walking back to the Falls of Truth through the jungle. The group was walking over a massive fallen tree over a river filled with giant crocodiles. Hinata's wooziness was gone and she was smiling, seeing Naruto back to his old self.

"Thanks for trying to help Motoi, Hokage, Hyuga!" Bee said with a grin.

Hinata grinned. "Not a problem, Bee-sama..."

"Same!" Naruto said with a grin.

"Naruto has a strange magnetic personality...just like Bee-san."

"Yep, he certainly does," Yamato said with a grin.

"First thing I thought you were a true foo', but now I see you're coo' too!" Bee rapped, moving his arms and grinning.

"You're rhymes are sweet, Octo-dude! I'm glad I met you!"

"Get the beat right, yo!" Bee said, offering his fist.

_I'm glad Naruto and Bee-san have similar personalities...but please don't have him start rapping!_ Yamato thought was a grin.

Naruto remembered the fist bump...Motoi asking him about what he knew about Bee...and he smiled and bumped his fist against Bee's. "Yo yo yo! My name is Naruto, dattebayo!" he grinned, laughing. _Alright, I got it this time!_

Bee however frowned. "...good lord, dattebayo..." he then grinned. "Cut that out-ttebayo! Get back to the Falls of Truth and you'll pull it off like a wisdom tooth!"

Shortly, they were all at the falls, Hinata watching as Naruto walked to the small island in the pool in front of the waterfall. He took a deep breath, calming himself and he sat down, crossing his legs and closed his eyes. A moment later, he opened his eyes to see his dark self walking back out of the falls. He was smirking, looking...vaguely psychotic.

"**Ready for round two, you fake?**"

Naruto...grinned at him. "I've been thinking about what you said..."

"**What?**" Dark Naruto growled.

"Its true, I've had a lot of anger and hate. And that we were treated like outcasts, but there is only one thing I have to say to that," Naruto said as he lifted his hands...and above him he made his 'autograph'. 'Your Number One Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki!'

"**W-What is this shit? That's all you got to say?**"

Naruto put his hand on his chest. "I have to tell people to stop believing in me, and believe in myself. And I have to thank you for bringing me this far."

Dark Naruto's eye twitched, and he charged. "**Then...then what is supposed to happen to me! You're going to discard me like a piece of trash?**"

He launched a punch and Naruto dodged him...and wrapped his arms around him. "No, that's not what I'm going to do. You're a part of me as much as I'm a part of you. But you don't have to worry anymore..." A single tear began dripping from Dark Naruto's eye...and he started to disintegrate. "We just have to believe in ourselves!"

And with that...Dark Naruto completely vanished and Naruto opened his eyes in the real world. He grinned, standing up and looking back at the others, giving a thumbs up.

"You did it Naruto!" Yamato said with a grin as Bee smirked.

"That's...wonderful Naruto-kun," Hinata said in amazement, jumping over to the center where he was.

"Its too early to celebrate, Hokage!" Bee announced with a smirk, walking across the water. "Now ya gotta learn how to control the Kyubi! Starting today...I'm your teacher! Getting up in your head or you'll wind up dead!"

Naruto grinned at that. "Yeah!"

Bee jumped to the falls, looking at everyone. "Come on, Naruto!"

Yamato raised his hand. "Is it okay if I can come too?"

"Fo Shizzle, and the Hokage's girlfriend too!"

Hinata blinked. "Me too...? But I'm trying to complete the Rasengan..."

"That injured hand, Hyuga Miss, needs a rest. Or else you'll be really amiss!"

Yamato looked at Motoi. "Motoi-san?"

"I have to make a report to Kumogakure..."

"Thanks, then," Yamato said, sensing they were being watched.

Motoi nodded, sensing it too. "Its not going to be easy..."

Bee began walking through the waterfall, Naruto looking over and following with Hinata. "There's something behind the falls?" Naruto asked as they walked.

When they reached the other side, both young Konoha shinobi's jaws dropped, seeing a massive temple behind the falls. There were five enormous towers that looked like massive steps behind a wall, and behind that there was a carving of the Hachibi launching Bijudama from it's mouth.

"What ya gotta do, is master Version One before getting to your Version Two!" Bee started as they walked to the Temple. "Then zap pow, you'll be able to make the Kyubi bow! Boo yeah!"

Naruto blinked. "Version One? Version Two?"

Bee grinned as they walked in. "Version One is human chakra blended with Biju, bubbles up and forms your cloak! Version Two is pure Biju Chakra so you won't end up as smoke!"

Naruto blinked in confusion as Bee walked over to a circle in the middle of the temple before a series of doors. He rubbed the back of his head as they walked to the center of the temple away from the headless statues. On the ceiling was a mural of the Kyubi itself, all nine tails going to every of the room...and in its mouth was a nine pointed star that aligned with a large one in the center of the room.

"Here, you will fight the Version One chakra! Defeating each level draws it into your body, making it under your complete control!" Bee announced and Naruto blinked.

"...what exactly is Version One and Two? You said Version One is human and biju chakra mixed together..."

Bee smirked, throwing his hand into the air to make 'horns' and a reddish bubbles burst off his body, forming into a seething cloak. The cloak formed horns around Bee's head, as well as eight tails. The chakra being given off by this form made the ground quake slightly, and Samehada shuddered in joy being bathed around the red chakra cloak.

"Version One is very fun! Biju and human chakra mixed, bubble up, and you get enormous power in a fix!"

Hinata gasped, and activated her Byakugan. She could see the Hachibi's chakra flowing out of the seal on Bee's shoulder and threw his chakra pathways. _The amount of chakra flowing out...its...impossibly huge! And he can control it...shaping it into human form...?_

The tails then wrapped around Bee's body, and the ground shuddered and shook again. His cloak turned dark red and his face was completely hidden, being replaced by a jack o'lantern look. The ground cracked, splintered, and cratered underneath his now 'hooved' feet, despite the entire temple being made to contain the might of the biju the Jinchuriki bring.

"**Version 2 compresses pure biju chakra into human form, and new attacks can be born! You can form bones for increased power which could be useful for an eleventh hour! Ultimately, you can form the Bijudama, which sends your enemies crying back to their mama!**"

Naruto's jaw dropped, and he remembered what his Four-Tailed and Six-Tailed forms looked like. _He can...control the chakra...like that? And stay conscious? He has his entire mind in that form...?_

The cloak vanished off of Bee's body as he returned to normal. "Stand in the middle of the star, and see how far you can go! Channel Kyubi's chakra into the star, and it'll form into an empty cloak!"

Naruto nodded, breathing in. "Okay then!" he said, stepping into the middle of the nine-pointed star carved into the middle of the temple.

Breathing in, he pressed his hands together and raised two fingers, summoning Kyubi's chakra. It bubbled up around him, and he opened his eyes, they were red and slitted and his whisker marks frayed. Then...all of the bubbling chakra seeped into the ground, lighting up three of the nine star points.

"So that's how much ya can control before all this!" Bee said, moving his arms. "Keep pushing out, out, out, fill all nine star points!"

Naruto yelled, pushing more and more Kyubi chakra out of his body, slowly filling the fourth point, the fifth, the sixth, the seventh, the eighth, and finally the ninth, slowly lowering his arms and panting. The chakra in the points then began coalescing. Hinata, Yamato, and Bee watched as the chakra formed into a transparent, seething, bubbly form of the Fox right in front of the young Hokage.

Naruto stepped back. "What the hell?"

"Beat the Avatar of the Fox, and then you'll box with the Fox itself!" Bee yelled. "Taking control of Version One will enable you to master your version two when you rip it from the Kyubi!"

Naruto dodged the massive paw of the 'avatar' of Kyubi that he had created, running around the star to avoid it's attacks. Its tails lashed out at him, forcing him to redirect himself, crossing his fingers.

"Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" he yelled, and in a puff of smoke created 20 clones and they spread out, confusing the massive avatar.

His clones all created Rasengans, charging the fox Avatar with their balls of chakra. "Rasen Chō Tarengan (Ultra-Many Spiraling Spheres)!"

The clones leaped at the transparent fox spirit, all smashing the Rasengans they had in their hands into its cloak. The cloak responded, pushing and slamming them back, sending two flying near the edge of the star. They skidded into a...barrier which made they puff out of existence.

Hinata blinked. "A barrier?"

"So the falls won't be destroyed, the barrier is equal to the power unleashed into the star, thus it can't break out," Bee said without a rhyme. "Now beat it down, Naruto! Then we can move onto the Kyubi itself!"

_Time to see how good my Sage Mode really is!_ Naruto thought, the clones providing a distraction good enough for him to enter it. He jumped out of the way of the massive ethereal paw that the Kyubi's Avatar launched at him from its side of the star.

Using his increase in speed, Naruto landed, dashing at the avatar, and he leaped into the air and smashed his fist right into its 'face'. It roared, stumbling back...and then smashing the young Hokage down hard enough to knock the wind out of him. Retaliating quickly, he grabbed the 'finger' and lifted the massive Avatar up and slammed it flat on its back. Creating two clones, he opened his hand and they helped him create a Rasenshuriken.

Naruto leaped up, lifting the Rasenshuriken high into the air and he threw it. The Kyubi Avatar then countered with a massive roar which caused the entire falls to shake and quake. The Rasenshuriken was disrupted and Naruto was sent smashing into the ceiling.

"This thing...is very tough..." Naruto groaned, standing now on the ceiling. _And its fast...and the cloak reacts on its own like it did for me. I need an opening..._

The Kyubi Avatar got on its 'hind legs' and then pushed both of its paws right at the young Hokage, trying to grab him. Naruto leaped off the roof, landing on the newly created chakra arms, running down as he gathered Natural Energy in his arms and legs, increasing his speed and attack range.

_Lets see how it handles Kawazu Kumite (Frog Kata_!_ Naruto thought, dodging several smaller chakra arms that sprouted out from the main one and he leaped off of it, turning himself into a missile by pointing his legs straight down. _Kawazu Kumite: Ninnin Misaru (Frog Kata: Human Missile)!_

The Kyubi Avatar roared, predictably moving out of the way to avoid Naruto's plunge. When it did, and when Naruto passed it though...it was then hit by the invisible Natural Energy that the young Hokage had gathered around his body. It was like being hit by a Gamabunta's fist, and the Kyubi Avatar's cloak rippled and shuddered from the impact, smashing to the ground and into the barrier making it roar even louder.

Naruto landed, skidding to prevent himself from crashing into the barrier himself. The Kyubi Avatar retaliated, shooting out its tail and forcefully slamming Naruto into the barrier anyway, delivering a painful shock making him cry out in pain.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata yelled as Yamato instinctively began doing Mokuton seals to counter but Bee shot out his hand.

"Naruto has to do this himself! If he can't make it beyond this point, the rest of the training will be pointless!"

Naruto growled, the tail now pinning him but he grabbed onto it, still in Sage Mode. "I'm...not losing that easily!" He crossed his fingers. "Tayjuu Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"

With that, he created 50 Kage Bushins who were already in Sage Mode and they all began charging the Kyubi Avatar. Several grabbed onto the tail itself as well and with Naruto, inadvertently freeing him, they yanked it into the barrier and themselves, drawing the main body towards the real Naruto.

The young Hokage leaped up after being freed, and with the clone's help he created another Rasenshuriken. Two more clones jumped right up onto the Kyubi Avatar's mouth, linking their hands to keep it shut to prevent it from roaring again as it continued to hurl towards the young Hokage. At the last second, Naruto tossed his Rasenshuriken.

"TAKE THIS!" He roared, tossing it right into the Kyubi Avatar and the Rasenshuriken impacted against the cloak, cutting nearly half way through the 'body' before it detonated into a massive wind sphere right inside the body.

The Kyubi Avatar gave a roar of pain, its body being bombarded from the inside by the millions of tiny wind blades before it crashed back into the barrier which delivered the final blow. Naruto landed, panting as he exited Sage Mode as his clones puffed away. The mass of Version One chakra, the Kyubi Avatar, convalesced again and was drawn back to his body.

"You did it!" Bee said with a grin. "Showed it whose boss!"

Naruto panted, giving a grinning thumbs up as he fell onto his rear. "Thanks...I need a rest though...long day."

Hinata rushed over to him and pulled him into a hug before catching herself. Both of them blushed at that and Bee walked over, smirking.

"Follow me in a few hours, then we'll amp up the power. Time to face Kyubi itself next."

Naruto grinned. "Right!"

_To be continued..._

-  
**Author's Notes**  
Sorry for the long break between this. Computer problems and writer's block on how to do this point really didn't help. But I hope you liked so please, read and review!


	12. Epic Battle! Naruto vs Kyubi no Yoko!

Chapter 12: Epic Battle! Naruto vs. Kyubi no Yoko!  
**Destroyed Uchiha Hideout, Land of Fire**  
While Naruto trained to control the Kyubi, a team of Konoha Ninja, lead by Neji Hyuga had been dispatched by Tsunade to the destroyed Uchiha hideout, hoping to find anything that could give the Allied Shinobi Forces over Akatsuki. Neji knelt down on the rubble, scanning with his Byakugan. With him were Hyuga Kō, Yamanaka Santa, Nara Ensui, and Akimichi Toriko. Kō scanned the area with his own Byakugan, checking every inch of the rubble.

"Nothing Neji-taicho!" Toriko yelled, lifting a massive piece of rubble up with his enlarged hand.

Neji nodded. "Keep looking. This was one of the Uchiha's primary hideouts during the Warring Clans Era, there should be some information of Madara here."

Kō leaped over to another area, his eyes scanning the rubble. He had been assigned to Neji's team due to Hinata heading to the Island Turtle with Naruto. Penetrating the ground deeply...he began seeing a massive underground bunker.

"Neji-taicho, I think I found something!"

Neji glanced over and jumped over...and Santa lifted his head up, feeling a surge of chakra. He glanced around, forming a seal. Sensing all the chakra in the area, he breathed in and looked around...and another large surge caught his attention.

Surrounding the huge skulls of the massive snakes, which were identified to be part of Orochimaru's strongest attack-the Yamata no Jutsu, a...glowing tear seemed to appear. A pale, white hand with a black tattoo shot out, carrying a gourd...and then a man pulled himself out entirely. He opened his mouth...and the form of a massive snake made out of many smaller snakes shot out, with one of the snakes grabbing onto the gourd with its mouth. Orochimaru had returned.

"Neji-taicho!" Santa yelled as the massive snake form of Orochimaru raised its head, panting. "We have to fall back!"

Orochimaru spotted Kō, being closer to him than Neji, and charged. _It isn't the Sharingan, but a Byakugan will be useful! You should have killed me when you had a chance, Itachi, now I have your most powerful weapon!_

Kō spun around as Orochimaru's snakes snapped at him, and he jumped out of the way, pulling out a kunai as his teammates attempted to come to his rescue. The Snake Sannin laughed, lashing out with his snakes to smash Toriko Akimichi to the ground, biting him several times and launching him into Neji. The Hyuga Prodigy was forced to catch his teammate as Santa and Ensui rushed to try to at least fend off Orochimaru from Kō.

Kō spun, doing a Kaiten to deflect the snakes but Orochimaru just countered by spinning his body around the Hyuga before he could counter. Neji leaped in, using Hakke Kusho (Eight Trigrams Empty Palm) and he battered Orochimaru's head with it, trying to throw him off. The Snake Sannin managed to get Kō looking right at him...and then he initiated Fushi Tensei (Living Corpse Reincarnation).

The Hyuga then found himself in Orochimaru's dimension, gasping and looking around. "What...what is this...?"

"This is _my_ dimension...and you'll be my new body!" Orochimaru announced as Kō glanced to the fleshy ground. "Do not worry, you'll still be part of my consciousness. You will never die, like I won't...a good trade off don't you think?" Kō gasped as the fleshy ground began to crawl up his body and Orochimaru's form began advancing on him. "Oho...what luck...no Cursed Seal. You're a Main Branch member...no wonder why you know Kaiten."

"Damn...it..." Kō growled, his Byakugan blazing as he looked right into the Snake Sannin's eyes.

"Now lets see what happened since I was locked away..." Orochimaru said, fleshy tendrils latching onto the Hyuga's head making him cry in pain. "...so Sasuke-kun attempted to get the Hachibi Jinchuriki Killer Bee and failed...awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan...and fought the Raikage and...oho! Naruto-kun at the Five Kage Summit. Tsunade-hime is the last remaining Sannin...not anymore. Not only that...Konoha was attacked by Pain...and decimated. And Naruto-kun managed to beat him...and become Hokage eh? Heh...that _is_ unexpected."

Kō cried out, thrashing as his entire body was starting to be taken over by Orochimaru as the Snake Sannin continued to merge their bodies. He tried resisting...but by now the fleshy growth had nearly managed to get to his neck and he cried out, the Sannin scanning him more.

"And now the world is preparing for war against Uchiha Madara..." Orochimaru gave a smirk. "That's all I need..."

And with that, Orochimaru's dimension completely swallowed up Kō, leaving the young Hyuga to cry out in shock. In the physical world, Orochimaru old body fell to the ground, the pupils entirely gone in his eyes as 'Kō' began chuckling, Neji and his team standing around him.

"What the...hell did Orochimaru do?" Ensui asked as 'Kō's' eyes opened...in the middle of the Byakugan was a dark, snake like pupil as purple outlines appeared under his eyes.

Neji gasped. _That...must have been Orochimaru's soul transfer technique! Kō-senpai's chakra is completely changed!_

"I am back...fully!" Orochimaru said through Kō's mouth, flying through several seals as Neji's team went on guard. Finishing the sequence, he pushed his hands together and both pointer and middle fingers up. "Magen: Heki Kinen (Demonic Illusion: False Memories)!"

A bright flash of light enveloped Neji, Ensui, Santa, and Toriko closed their eyes, Neji deactivating his Byakugan reflexively as their collective short term memories were erased. Orochimaru then ignited his old body to cover his tracks, and left Kō's body...organs and all, in the ground around it to get away. Stabbing it once with the Kusanagi sword through the chest, he sunk into the ground, making his escape.

A few minutes later, Neji's team's vision cleared and saw Kō's body around a black circle, having been stabbed through the chest. They 'remembered' the attack by several missing ninja, apparently hired by Madara to help keep his secrets safe. Neji ran over to his fellow clan member's body, feeling his pulse and he shook his head.

"That combined attack must have been too much for him," Neji said, breathing out and wiping his head. "Where did they go?"

"They must have found what they were looking for and left while we were distracted by that light attack," Santa said, breathing out. "We should head back to Konoha and report in."

They nodded, helping Toriko up. They remembered he got peppered with poisoned kunai, and needed to get him back to the village as soon as possible. Neji closed his fellow clansman's eyes, lifting his body up and the remaining four shinobi shunshined out of the area.

**Island Turtle, Biju Temple under the Falls of Truth**  
After resting for a bit after defeating the Version One Avatar of Kyubi, Naruto, Yamato, and Hinata were following Bee to another part of the Temple, passing several headless statues. Yamato looked over to them as they kept walking.

"These statues must be ancient...from an archaeological standpoint they must be priceless...but they need to be fixed," Yamato commented as they walked.

"Nope, those statues were _made_ headless...because..." Bee said as they nearly arrived at the far end of the giant temple.

"...so how exactly am I supposed to fight the Kyubi? Like that thing with Version One?"

"...actually fighting the Kyubi seems crazy, Naruto, Bee," Yamato grumbled and the Hachibi Jinchuriki smirked.

"Ya have to be crazy if ya want to control a Biju!" Bee said with a grin as they reached a demon carving. "This is a sacred place where Jinchuriki go through the purification ceremony!" The carving looked sort of like a demonic cat, and wisps of flame were carved around it. "This bad boy'll letcha talk to the Fox, just stroll right into the box!"

"So this is it..." Naruto said, looking up at the room as Bee walked over to the statue.

"Only the chosen enter through...'natch. Into the mouth, up to the head, only the pure hearted can go in. No darkness in your heart, that's the catch."

Hinata blinked. _That's a long string of rhymes..._

"No darkness...thats why I had to train at the Falls."

"Even a little bit of evil and the door slams tight! While your heads still inside, goodnight!"

"Those heads...are the previous Jinchuriki's right?" Hinata asked wearily.

Naruto gulped, rubbing his neck. He remembered his battle with his dark half...he had felt he had conquered it...but this...this would be the final test. He stepped forward despite Yamato's suggestion to use a clone to test it first, with Bee remarking that this was a sacred temple. Hinata breathed in, looking at the young man she loved as he leaned into the carving...seeing a button. Blinking, he tapped it and waited to see if his head would be bitten off.

_Hm...I guess I passed..._

He pulled out as he heard the door creak open, the nape of his shirt being caught on the 'teeth' of the carving until it covered his entire head. He blinked, stumbling back as he tried to get his head out of his shirt without his hands.

"Naruto!"

"Naruto-kun!"

"Oh my god!" Yamato said as he tried lifting Naruto up.

Naruto grabbed his collar and yanked it down. "...huh..."

"You scared the crap out of me!" Yamato yelled and Bee laughed. "What about this being a sacred temple?"

"...it was an accident!" Naruto said, crossing his arms. "All there was was a switch!"

Bee grinned. "Enough fun, we gotta run! Fight the Fox in the Box, take it down and show it whose the boss!" they began walking into the training area as Bee grinned. "Don't let down your guard, or taking the Kyubi's chakra will be hard! This room will be brought into your mind..."

They walked into the pure, featureless white room, the door creaking shut behind them. Hinata looked back, activating her Byakugan and slightly more blood began leaking out of the corners of her eyes. The dizziness increased, but she pushed through it to get a...scope of the room. Her eyes widened.

_...its...bigger than the entire island! How...how is it possible? A jutsu?_ she thought, putting her bandaged hand to her eyes and she looked to see the blood on it. _And why...are my eyes bleeding more...? Activating my Byakugan before never did that and why am I so lightheaded while using it?_

She focused her attention to Naruto and Bee who were now sitting cross legged facing each other, and the two then pressed their fists together, closing their eyes. In an instant, Naruto was in the _sewer_ that lead directly to Kyubi's cage.

As he walked to Kyubi's cage, the sewer began 'shifting' to the room where Bee brought him. The massive, 50 meter (164 feet) demon fox was napping behind the cage, his paws crossed when he heard Naruto approaching his seal. His massive eye opened, revealing his deep red iris and narrow pupil, veins around the sclera of his eye were visible.

"Yo, you're looking as evil as ever," Naruto said, the Fox narrowing its eye.

**I'm trying to nap here, brat. Unless you...wait...** he started, sensing something...different about his container as Naruto began floating, now in arm's reach of his seal. **What happened to the **_**real**_** you?**

"You're looking at the _real_ me," Naruto replied, tearing off the seal tag off as he activated the key, lifting his jacket, shirt, and mesh underneath it and the seal appeared on his stomach.

**What are you doing?** Kyubi demanded as Naruto fingers glowed and he pressed them onto his seal...and twisted the seal open.

The second that happened, the Fox's massive paw smashed through the gates, swinging them open as he gave a commanding roar, his chakra lashing out through it to blow Naruto back. In response, Killer Bee sent forth most of the Hachibi's chakra in the form of its tentacles to wrap around the Kyubi. The tentacles wrapped around the giant fox, restraining him.

"You gotta pull the chakra away from the will..." Bee said, one of the Hachibi's tentacles pulling at the Kyubi's body, a transparent version of the Fox being pulled off. "Then ya can control all it'll spill!"

However, the Kyubi slashed its tails out, ripping the Hachibi's tentacles to pieces and sending remnants of them crashing down near Naruto who shielded his eyes. The Fox had reversed the process...drawing in nearly seven tails worth of Kyubi's power into its own body and it grew nearly twenty meters taller, topping out at 70 meters tall.

**Allying with the Hachibi...** the Kyubi rumbled, drawing his tails up near its mouth as it stood on his hind legs. **Have you no pride as my Jinchuriki?**

Black and white chakra began to appear around Kyubi's face and tails before they began drawing together into a single dense, black ball. Instinctively Naruto threw his hand back, his hidden kunai mechanism latching onto one in his arsenal and dropping it right into his palm. It was...the Hiraishin tri-kunai that Kakashi had given him and he pulled it up into guard position.

The black ball was compressed and the Kyubi bit down upon, and smoke began wafting out of his mouth. Killer Bee reacted, but found that most of his chakra had already been drained.

_Damn it, the Fox planned this and locked my chakra out of the box! Naruto, you have to deal with that Bijudama on your own!_ Bee told Naruto as the young Hokage tightened his grip on the kunai.

_I'll still win, Bee! Thanks for the help though!_ Naruto thought, subconsciously channeling chakra through the tri-kunai.

**This is my first step to being truly reborn, and you won't stand in by WAY!**The Kyubi roared, and like a cannon ball the dense, black bijudama was launched from his mouth with such force the entire surroundings were torn asunder, even making the severed tentacles of the Hachibi crash around.

Naruto braced for impact, the chakra in the kunai reacting as he instinctively made the ram seal and a tear in the space-time was made, creating a barrier that looked like a summoning seal in mid-air. It swallowed up the Bijudama harmlessly, and the young Hokage blinked. The barrier rippled and then launched the Bijudama right back at the Kyubi!

_Whoa! Why didn't Kakashi-sensei tell me it could do that?_ Naruto thought as the Bijudama slammed into the Kyubi, the explosion sending the giant fox skidding back and the young Hokage landed. _Time to start my counter attack before he can counter!_

Entering Sage Mode quickly, Naruto created three Rasenshuriken as the Kyubi roared, charging at him like an enraged lion. His speed was incredible, and he leaped into the air and smashed his palm down, sending Naruto flying back from the shockwave. The tails lashed out and the young Hokage crossed his fingers.

"Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" Naruto yelled out, creating nine clones which caught the tails heading for him and he used them to get back to the ground.

The Kyubi chuckled maliciously, destroying the clones restraining his tails with a flick which sent another massive shockwave right at where Naruto was falling back to. He crossed his arms, charging his chakra to his feet and he withstood the attack, creating two more clones and slamming a smoke bomb down.

**You must be kidding me with **_**that**_** parlor trick!** Kyubi laughed, and it sent a massive chakra roar which dispelled the smoke...but Naruto and his clones had vanished.

"Senpo: Cho Odama Rasengan (Sage Technique: Super Big Spiraling Sphere)!" was heard from above him and there was Naruto, a absolutely massive Rasengan above his hand as he plunged down towards the Kyubi, chakra swirling from the mass of chakra in his hand.

The Kyubi blocked the Cho Odama Rasengan with his tails and Naruto _detonated_it, forcing the the giant fox to hug the ground to withstand the explosion. A massive paw then burst through the smoke created by the explosion and Naruto jumped back as the Kyubi's tails joined the counter. His eyes widened.

_He's so __**fast**__!_ Naruto thought as the Kyubi basically vanished and reappeared, his paw right above the young Hokage and smashing down and pinning him to the ground.

**I've watched you for sixteen years brat, what makes you think you can control me!**

"I wouldn't have broken the seal if I didn't think I can!" Naruto yelled...and then he vanished in a puff of smoke.

_**WHAT?**_

The real Naruto ran forward, his speed enhanced by Sage Mode and he grabbed onto the Kyubi's tail before he could even turn around! Flexing his muscles, he then lifted the massive demon fox up and over his shoulder, slamming it down so hard it left a crater. Kyubi roared, trying to pull itself up as Naruto leaped up again, two clones with him to form a Rasenshuriken.

"I'm not letting you recover!" Naruto yelled, throwing the spinning wind blade down hard, having it slam into the Kyubi's chest.

The Kyubi cried out in pain as the Rasenshuriken bored into its fur before exploding, slamming its head back down as the wind sphere expanded around it. Billions of tiny blades began peppering its fur and skin underneath, making its arms shake. However its tails lashed out and smashed into Naruto, sending him crashing into the water like a stone skipping across a pond. Naruto managed to catch himself, leaping to stand up and he groaned.

_He hits hard...but this should weaken him..._

The wind sphere dispersed and the Kyubi pushed itself up, its skin singed and burned from the Rasenshuriken. Naruto kept his eyes on it...and the demonic fox leaped to its feet and practically vanished before his eyes! He looked up and around...before sensing the Kyubi above him and it was firing a Bijudama right at him!

_Crap!_ Naruto thought, leaping out of the way as the Bijudama smashed into the ground, creating a massive explosion that could destroy an entire mountain range, which sent the young Hokage flying back instead of killing him outright since he was right on the edge of the blast.

The Kyubi landed in the fireball, charging right through it roar and Naruto caught himself just as the demonic fox's jaws went down to snatch him up. He yelled, taking a Kawazu Kumite stance. He drew his right fist back.

"Kawazu Kumite: Juu Rei Ken (Frog Katas: Ten Ghost Fists)!" Naruto yelled, punching out and smashing the Kyubi's nose with his fist...ten Natural Energy ghost punches adding to the blow and sending the Fox crashing back to the side hard, it groaning in pain. Naruto jumped to its tails, grabbing one. "Just to be_sure_!"

With that, he lifted the Kyubi again and smashed it back onto its back. The 'chakra Naruto' lifted from Naruto's back and grabbed onto the demonic fox's tail and began to draw the Kyubi's chakra away from his body. The Kyubi stomped his paw down, trying to get up but lost his footing and fell back.

_Yes! He's weakened enough now...I can pull the chakra out without..._ Naruto thought as the Kyubi's dark will shot through the stream of chakra, hitting him like a ton of bricks. _What...is this...?_

He gasped, Dark Naruto starting to resurface as the hatred from Kyubi began entering his body. He kept hearing... 'I hate them...' 'I want to kill em all!' 'It hurts!' And other dark thoughts that began to overwhelm him, making him drop to one knee.

"What the...hell is...this...?" Naruto growled, his Sage Mode starting to fade.

In the real world, Bee, Yamato, and Hinata noticed Naruto's Sage Mode start fading, and the Hachibi Jinchuriki's eyes widened. The Hyuga Heiress's eyes widened, her Byakugan activating on instinct.

_Don't lose, Naruto!_ Bee thought.

_Naruto-kun...don't...don't give up..._ Hinata thought...remaining oddly calm as the Version One cloak exploded around Naruto's body, and half of it started to turn red. _You never give up...you'll beat the Kyubi._

Slowly, she brought her hands together, breathing out calmly as blood leaked out of her Byakugan activated eyes. The dizziness that had accompanied the activation started to fade...and the bleeding began to stop. Slowly, she opened her eyes...and they had changed. Both were now...black and white, in the shape of a yin-yang symbol, her left eye had it's black half facing her nose and the white eye pupil was showing, but the left eye had the white half facing her nose with a black pupil. A Kaiten burst around her on instinct without her even spinning.

Yamato leaped back. "What the hell?" he yelled, he had tried to use the Hokage-Shiki Jijun Jutsu - Kakuan Nitten Suishu (Hokage-Style Sixty-Year-Old Technique - Kakuan Entering Society with Bliss-Bringing Hands) seal the Kyubi chakra leaking from Naruto, but even though the necklace was repaired, most of its power was gone.

"...don't worry...Naruto-kun won't lose!" Hinata said firmly, wiping the blood off her cheeks.

Back in the mindscape battlefield, Naruto panted, slowly...forcing the hatred back. Seemingly hearing Hinata's confidence for him, he stood up, the black will of the Kyubi still in his chest, but his hand trembled, slowly grabbing onto it with his hand.

**Give it up! You can't defeat me, you're just a tiny fragment of my hatred!**the Kyubi growled. **You don't belong here!**

"You give up...making _me_ give up..." Naruto whispered, forcing some of the hatred out and his eyes began changing back to normal. "I...do belong here...and I'm _not_ giving up or giving in!"

He forced the hatred from his body and he heard a woman's voice. "You're right..." he glanced over, seeing a beautiful red-haired woman with purple eyes. "You do belong here."

To be continued...  
**Author's Notes**:  
Round One of Naruto vs Kyubi's ended! I hope you like my version. I'll begin working on Round Two soon! Please, read and review.


	13. Mom's Red Hair leads to the New Seal!

Chapter 13: Mom's Red Hair leads to the New Seal!  
**Biju Sealing Chamber**  
Naruto looked up in confusion, looking at the beautiful woman with long red hair, with purple eyes. She was wearing a white shirt and a long red dress with a whirlpool symbol on her back. And around her neck she had a Konoha headband, which had a smaller whirlpool symbol under the leaf. The young Hokage looked at her in confusion, blinking.

"Who are...you...?" Naruto asked and the woman walked over.

"Don't you know...?" she replied with a smile.

Naruto blinked, looking at her closely. "...could it...be...?"

"So have you finally figured it out?" she asked with a giggle.

"You're the Kyubi's human form!" ...she laughed as her eye twitched. "I knew it! That's no human laugh! You're-!"

"LIKE NO!" She yelled, bopping him on the head.

"OW!" Naruto groaned, putting his hand on his head. "Wait...what?"

She giggled bashfully. "...guess I got a little carried away there..." she opened one of her eyes to look at him, smiling weakly. "I've kinda been hot-tempered since I was born and talking like that when I get excited. I try not to do it but my mouth sometimes bypasses my intentions." She smiled, closing her eyes and blushing. "But what about you? I always hoped you wouldn't saying such silly nonsense words when you get worked up...like me..." she then noticed the outfit he was wearing. "Wait...you've become Hokage?"

Naruto slowly realized. "You're..."

"Minato never told you anything, did he? Good lord..." she started as his lip trembled. "Yes, I'm your..."

Naruto cut her off, hugging her tightly. She smiled gently, wrapping her arms around him as well.

"I've...I've always wanted to meet you..." Naruto whispered, his lip trembling as tears began flowing from his eyes.

"'Its like'...you really are my son," she said with a soft smile.

In the real world, the forced transformation had ceased, Naruto was still sitting in front of Hinata, Yamato, and Bee, the cloak still around him. The Mokuton user, blinked, his hand still out. The swirling Kaiten vortex around Hinata began shutting off, but her eyes stayed the same.

Bee blinked, looking at Yamato. "Did ya do that technique the First Hokage could do?"

"No, I don't know what happened!" Yamato said, lowering his hand slowly.

Hinata smiled. "Naruto-kun isn't giving up and fighting back, that's what happened!"

Back where Naruto was fighting the Kyubi, Naruto grinned and looked at his mother and threw out his arms. Kushina smiled back, glancing back where the Kyubi was.

"There is so much I wanna talk to you about, mom!" Naruto cheered with a grin.

"Yeah...we'll have a long talk, but lets keep the Fox out of it!"

From Naruto's other 'body', he closed his eyes tightly as threw his back up, and several golden chains shot from his body at the Kyubi. They all wrapped around his arms and legs, as well as his tails. He slammed back against the white ground, groaning.

**Wait...this chakra...** The Kyubi growled in irritation. **Kushina...**

Now Naruto and Kushina could talk without interruptions, finding a seat next to each other. The young Hokage's mother smiled, and it seemed like sunshine was around them.

"Minato used my chakra to help form the seal, so I could help you when you tried to take the Kyubi's power one day," Kushina told him happily. "We wanted to help you however we could."

"Heh heh heh..." Naruto chuckled as his mother looked at him.

"Aren't you listening?"

"...heh...I'm just glad that my mom's good looking," Naruto said, rubbing under his nose.

"Well thank you!" Kushina said happily. "Heh, well Naruto, I'm sorry you ended up with my face, but at least you got your father's hair."

"Why? If my mom's good looking, your hair would make me a babe magnet," Naruto said, speculating...and he remembered Hinata. "...though one girl likes me just the way I am."

"Oh? My little boy has a girlfriend?"

"Heh...you could say that...she's Hyuga Hinata..." he said, rubbing the back of his head. "I was just too dense to see it..."

She giggled. "A Hyuga...aiming high huh son?" she grinned, making Naruto blink. "You're the second person to ever compliment me on my hair."

"Huh? Who was the first?"

"Your father...Minato...of course!"

"Aha! I get it!" Naruto cheered with a grin.

"...what?" Kushina asked, blinking.

"Hey...there's always been one question I've wanted to ask you mom!"

"Oh, what's that?"

"How did you and dad meet? And get together?"

Kushina giggled at the question, rubbing the back of her head. She paused for several moments to get a starting point. Humming to herself, the young Hokage waited anxiously.

"Well to start with...I wasn't originally from Konoha. I moved to Konoha from Uzushio in the Land of Whirlpools," Kushina started with a smile. "...something had happened. My dad and I came to Konoha so we could start a new life...on my first day at the Academy, I decided I should better made a good impression."

"Yeah, what did you do?"

"I sucked it up when everyone was looking at me...and then announced that I'd become the first female Hokage!" She gave a grin. "...all the kids laughed at me...and they began calling me 'Tomato'!"

"Tomato?" Naruto asked. "And did dad stop them from making fun of you?"

"Oooh no..." Kushina replied, making a fist and it shook. "I beat the crap out of all of them! And from that day, I became known as the "Red-Hot Habanero'!"

Naruto made a face, sweatdropping. _...Kiba wasn't wrong...mom's can be __**scary**__at times..._ he chuckled weakly. "...well...then what did dad do?"

"Honestly? Then I thought he was a little girly weakling...he just stood up then and introduced himself and said 'I want everyone in the village to acknowledge me and become a great Hokage', he said with absolute sincerity..."

"...get everyone to acknowledge him and become Hokage huh?" Naruto repeated, sounding nostalgic.

"When I heard that...I thought no fucking way a flaky guy like that could become Hokage," Kushina said with a giggle, rubbing the back of her head.

"What...but dad's the Fourth Hokage. He was so strong the Third Hokage chose him over Orochimaru!"

"Yes, but what did I know? I was young, so I looked down my nose at Minato," Kushina said, rubbing the back of her head. "Until a certain incident."

"Incident?" Naruto asked as Kushina breathed out.

"I've always hated my red hair..." Kushina started softly, not meeting her son's eyes. "Until one day, thanks to your dad, I came to like it..."

"What happened?"

"My chakra's a bit special you see...and at the time Kumo desired it for their own," Kushina explained. "So they kidnapped me and began leading me back to their village. However...I left a trail with my hair." She gave a grin. "Despite the best trackers Konoha had to offer, no one had been able to find it until...Minato did. He picked it up and single handily rescued me."

"Wow! That's amazing!"

"He fought off the older Kumo Ninja...saying he only needed a few strands of my hair for him to find me..." Kushina said, blushing a little bit. "After he said that...suddenly he looked like the most magnificent shinobi ever...like someone who could make all my dreams come true. And most importantly, he changed me. My bright red hair led me to my soul mate..."

She smiled, thinking of when she was younger, in Minato's arms looking up at him and blushing for the first time for him. "It became my personal 'Red Thread of Fate' and from that day on I liked my hair. And most importantly, I loved Minato."

Naruto gave a wide grin, it was like his entire body was feeling warm and fuzzy after hearing that. "Wow mom..."

"There's a little something I like to tell the men who compliment my hair, yourself included, Naruto," Kushina started as Naruto grinned, and she smiled back. "I love you." Naruto paused for a second, and began blushing when he remembered Hinata's confession. "So tell me, what is the product of Konoha's Yellow Flash and Bloody Hanabero?"

Naruto grinned, standing up and he tugged on his outfit. "Konoha's Orange Hokage!"

The Kyubi glared at Naruto, pulling himself up as Naruto repeated Kushina's 'I love you' and Hinata's 'I love you' in his mind. The chakra connecting the young Hokage to the Kyubi began to clear up as the poisonous hatred of the Fox was then forced _all_ the way back instead of just being held at bay. Naruto then yelled, full of happiness.

_**Damn you Kushina...**_ Kyubi snarled, his hatred being fully repelled. Reaching his massive paw up to his chest, he tore the chains off as his Jinchuriki crossed his fingers.

"Tayjuu Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" Naruto called out, creating nearly a thousand clones which began charging the Kyubi.

The massive Fox roared in challenge as the swarm of Narutos charged all over him, half creating Rasengans while in midair. The Kyubi's massive paw lashed out, destroying several clones in one go as he reached down, yanking the last chain off his leg and he rose to his full, menacing height. Several of the clones managed to get in range with the Rasengans, crying out.

"Rasen Chō Tarengan (Rasengan Super Barrage)!" they all yelled, smashing the Rasengans into the Kyubi's face and torso. In response, the Kyubi laughed, its tails whipping out to destroy the attacking clones.

Several dozen were still in the air as Naruto entered Sage Mode once more, and he did the inverse of his time limit increase, transferring it and more Natural Chakra to his moving clones so they could enter the form. The clones, now in Sage Mode around the Kyubi's legs, grabbed on as those still in the air added more and more chakra to their carried Rasengans, making them assume their Cho Odama Rasengan form.

"We got him! Let him have it!" Naruto's Clones yelled as the Kyubi struggled against the tremendous strength of the Sage Mode clones.

"Right! Senpō: Chōōdama Rasen Tarengan (Sage Art: Super Odama Rasengan Barrage)!" they all yelled, smashing the vulnerable demon with their massive Rasengans.

Each had the power to destroy a mountain, and a total of 24 impacted on the Fox. Kyubi howled in pain, being tossed back by the massive explosion as his fur was singed and burned. The clones leaped to grab the chain, throwing them around the Kyubi's neck, tails, and legs as he was pushed back and all kept a good grip. In response, Kyubi created another Bijudama as another clone armed with a Futon: Rasenshuriken came leaping in.

"Get out of my-!"

Before he could continue, the Kyubi blasted him with the loaded Bijudama, destroying several clones as the real Naruto landed at his side. Drawing both hands back, he gathered the Natural Energy around them.

"Kawazu Kumite: Niju Rei Ken (Frog Kata: Twenty Ghost Punch)!" he roared, blasting the Kyubi with all twenty ghost punches, pushing him back hard as two clones leaped at him, and helped him create another Rasenshuriken. "Now...as I was saying!"

He charged the Kyubi, still stunned from the impact of the twenty heavy punches that Naruto had launched at him. Naruto pushed his hand forward, pushing the Fox back with all his might as the wind sphere formed between him. The multitude of wind blades cut deep into the Kyubi's chin, neck and chest as he was pushed back.

_**How on Earth...is he so powerful?**_ Kyubi thought in disbelief, his claws on his back feet barely holding him back. His chakra began being separated from his body due to the chains being attached to him. Nearly five tails worth was pulled from him.

"NOW GET OUT OF MY FACE!" Naruto roared. With one last mighty push he sent the Kyubi flying back entirely, completely separating all nine tails worth of chakra away from the Kyubi itself.

Roaring in pain, the Kyubi crashed into the ground, weakly trying to push himself up as he saw his chakra flicker in its form. Instead of being its red color, it was yellowish orange...his poisonous will had finally been completely negated. Naruto's clones dispelled and he pulled all the chakra into himself. His body then changed, enveloped in warm, yellow orange chakra as it flickered around him like flames and his eyes had turned red. His seal became visible, changing with a whirlpool seal pointing down like a shuriken edge, and extended all the way up to his arms and legs, having two more whirlpool markings on his shoulders. Above his headband, his two of his hair points had grown out longer and nearly looked like horns! Finally around his neck were the full set of the Yasaka Magatama like what the Rikudo Sennin himself wore.

He looked at his new form in awe, clenching his hand several times as the power swirled around him. Breathing in through his nose, he looked at the Kyubi who was snarling. The muscle mass around his chest began fading, his ribs becoming visible as it looked like he was getting emaciated.

**Naruto...don't...** the Kyubi snarled, panting several times. "_**DON'T MAKE ME ANGRY NARUTO!**_"

Above Kyubi, a incredibly huge mass of black and white chakra formed. It grew, expanding into a massive Bijudama, but the Fox started to get more and more emaciated as he put more and more power into it. When it was nearly finished, he panted, his lips having disappeared around his mouth.

"You've still got all that power..." Naruto said calmly, looking at the massive Bijudama. "Man...you're really something else."

Activating the Key, he put his hand on his stomach and then twisted the seal. Massive torii then slammed down from the sky, inhibiting the movement of Kyubi's tails and then larger ones slammed down like staples around the Kyubi's torso and neck, preventing it from moving. Then...its Bijudama looked to be turned to stone and started crumbling, and its last hope for victory died.

_**This is...the Rikudo Sennin's technique?**_ Kyubi thought in disbelief as a new cage made of the constructed torii went around it until finally huge new gates slammed shut on the demon, sealing it once again. **I won't forget this...Naruto...**

_Kyubi...I'm sorry...but I won't hurt you anymore,_ Naruto thought, his eyes opening as his remaining clone looked up, looking at his mother.

"Naruto, you did it!" Kushina said happily, running over and hugging him.

"Heh...yeah..." Naruto said with a grin, rubbing the back of his head. "So mom...are you..."

"And now I can follow after Minato..." Kushina started and her son looked up at her. "But first...I need to tell you something. Something important."

"...what is it?"

"Naruto...I want you to learn of the truth behind the attack 16 years ago, the day you were born."

"The...truth?"

She paused for a few seconds. "I...I was the previous Kyubi Jinchuriki. That is where it all begins."

Naruto looked to her in shock, his eyes widening. He couldn't believe it...and waited.

_To Be Continued..._

**Author's Notes**  
Whooo boy! I finally finished it! These set of chapters I've wanted to do for SO long, and now its finally finished! I hope you like, I really, really do! Please, tell me of the changes you saw from canon, as well as Naruto attacks.


	14. That Terrible Night! The Kyubi's Attack!

Chapter 14: The Terrible Night! The Kyubi's Attack!  
**Biju Sealing Chamber, Island Turtle**  
In the Biju Sealing chamber, Yamato, Hinata, and Killer Bee waited when all of a sudden Naruto had a content smile on his face. The mokuton user blinked, lowering his hand and he looked at the young Hokage, then the Hachibi Jinchuriki and the Hyuga Heiress.

"I can't tell...did he manage to do it?"

"Well if he hasn't changed by now, he must have given the Kyubi a big bin bam pow!" Bee replied, and Hinata smiled.

"...I knew he could do it...Naruto-kun doesn't give up..."

Inside Naruto's mind, Naruto had just finished putting the ripped Kyubi chakra between several Torii. It was huge, filled up a massive area, almost like a small moon floating in the 'air'. When he was finished he turned his direction back at his mother.

"You...were the previous Kyubi Jinchuriki?" Naruto asked her and Kushina breathed out.

"Yes...you remember why my chakra is special, right? Its because, like you I am a Uzumaki...our chakra and bodies can contain the Kyubi itself despite its insane power. Other human beings bodies aren't able to," Kushina started, rubbing the back of her head. "The very first Jinchuriki of the Kyubi was Uzumaki Mito...the First Hokage's Wife."

Naruto did a double-take. "WHAT? You mean...Tsunade-oba-chan's grandma...is a Uzumaki?"

"Yes, and she inherited the special chakra as well in a lesser amount," Kushina said with a smile. "She was actually one of my teachers...because of her I was as good in taijutsu and chakra control! Though I wasn't suited for medical ninjutsu..."

"Hm...that means Tenko..."

"Tenko?"

"Uh...yeah he's Jiraiya's and Tsunade's son..."

Kushina had to do a double take. "Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-sensei had a _son?_Since when? How did they keep him hidden?"

"Its a...long story mom...he's my age though," Naruto said with a grin and Kushina nodded.

"Damn it, if I wasn't limited by chakra I'd want to learn more!" Kushina complained, taking several deep breaths to compose herself. "...as I was saying...I was selected from the remains of my village to become the new Jinchuriki of Kyubi when Mito-sama began to get older..."

"Wait...why were you have to be taken from your old village?"

"...the Uzumaki Clan and the Senju Clan of Konoha have been allies for decades, and Konoha and Uzushio, the respective villages of each clan would come to one another's aids whenever there was a crisis," Kushina explained. "The Senju and Uzumaki are distantly related anyway, and our village was under attack by several enemy clans who had allied under one banner..."

"Why did they try so hard to destroy your village?"

"Because we were granted with longevity that other people were envious of, as well as our fuinjutsu. Which are great enough to seal an entire Biju without a sacrifice," Kushina said and she breathed out. "By the time the Sannin arrived, it was already too late. The entire village had been razed and the survivors were fleeing in all directions. Jiraiya-sama saved me and my dad personally, and escorted us back to Konoha."

"And then what happened?"

"I met Mito-sama...she was old then, near the end of her life...but her hair was still as red as mine. I was then selected to be the new Jinchuriki of Kyubi...and only three people would know, the Hokage and his advisers," Kushina began, closing her eyes. "I felt so alone...like no one could understand what would be happening to me. Then I spoke with Mito-sama...and she told me there must be one preparation first before I become the Jinchuriki..."

"And what was that?"

"The Jinchuriki must first be filled with love," Kushina said fondly, remembering the warm embrace that Mito gave her to comfort her. "It counteracts the Kyubi's hatred...keeps it tranquil..."

Naruto blinked for a few moments...and he began grinning, getting it.

"Now...as I was saying..." Kushina started, smiling back at her son. "There are times when a Jinchuriki is at their most weakest."

Naruto blinked. "Like...when?"

"For women who become Jinchuriki, its during childbirth," Kushina said, lifting up her finger. "The seal weakens during that time...not to mention that the biju sealed inside us disrupts the length of the pregnancy, making it 10 months instead of nine...though as a young man, you won't need to worry about that."

Naruto nodded. "And...someone attacked then?"

"Yes, you're catching on..." Kushina replied. "Now...it began..."

**Sixteen Years Ago, Konoha**  
It had been three years since the Third Great Shinobi World War ended, with a minor border war still raging in the North against Kumo. Despite that, the village of Konohagakure was experiencing an economic and population boon, the scars of the war were slowly fading. Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage had retired when the War ended, passing on the title of Yondaime Hokage to the hero of the War, the legendary Yellow Flash, Namikaze Minato.

Minato was sitting in his office, one of his Hiraishin Kunai in his left hand and a Rasengan in his right. Concentrating on the kunai, a small wave of Futon chakra burst through it, slowly lengthening the reach of the knife into a full sword. The wind started blowing up a small gale in the room as he began thinking.

_All my attempts to add my Futon to the Rasengan have ended in failure...is it just impossible?_ Minato thought as he began trying to channel the Futon into his Rasengan, the wind starting to spin around it but the sphere began to become unstable...and it exploded, making him fall out of his seat and the windows and desk were obliterated. He groaned as some of his aids ran into the room with kunai's drawn, thinking their Hokage had been attacked.

"Hokage-sama, are you alright?"

"Yes, yes fine..." Minato said with a grin, rubbing the back of his head. "Just was trying to do something, there's no reason to worry."

The aids blinked and nodded slowly. "...we'll get your office repaired right away, Hokage-sama."

As they walked out, Minato breathed out. _Got a lot of other things to worry about today..._ a small grin appeared on his face. _But I'm going to be a dad..._

Hiruzen came walking in, seeing the destruction in his old office. "Now this I didn't expect, are you this nervous, Minato?"

Minato chuckled nervously. "Well...not about that...hehehehehehe..."

Hiruzen smiled. "Jiraiya is expected to be back soon, I'm sure he'll make it for..."

"Yes, I know," Minato said, becoming serious. "Everything is set up?"

Hiruzen nodded. "Yes. My wife is getting yours ready. Though I suspect Kushina is visiting with her friends now to see their new children before going."

Minato nodded. "Of course..." he gave a grin. "Same as always, Kushina-chan..."

Kushina was now walking down the street with Biwako, intending on visiting her best friend before going off to the birthing location. Due to the...sensitivity of her pregnancy, it was classified until after Kushina had given birth. Biwako, Hiruzen's wife would be the midwife while the ANBU captain Taji would be there for medical ninjutsu support, and Minato's job would be to keep his wife's seal in check during the birth. There would also be a barrier around the site, on top of ANBU patrols. Kushina had remarked it was a little excessive, but the former Hokage had informed her they were just being cautious.

"Didn't you have a girl?" Kushina asked, seeing the little baby in her best friend, Uchiha Mikoto's arms. He had black hair that was slightly spiked, and was dressed in the black and blue Uchiha garments. Since he was still sleeping, he snuggled in his mother's arms.

"Nope, another boy," Mikoto replied with a grin.

"Well? What's his name Mikoto-chan?" Kushina asked excitedly, very happy for her friend.

"Sasuke..." Mikoto replied happily, looking down at the cute infant.

"Ah...the same as Hiruzen's father," Biwako said with a smile, looking at little Sasuke as he stirred in his sleep. "Yes...I'm sure he'll make a fine shinobi."

"You're almost due right Kushina-chan? You should pick a name before its too late," Mikoto advised with a smile.

"Oh, we already did! From Jiraiya-sama's first book, 'Naruto'!" Kushina informed her cheerfully. "Naruto and Sasuke'll be in the same grade, I'm sure they'll become good friends! Just like us!" she then looked around. "Where's Hannah-chan?"

"She's having an ultrasound today, Kushina-chan," Mikoto replied, rubbing the back of her head. "She wanted to see how little Hinata is developing..."

Kushina nodded, and then she cringed. "Does it hurt...like...bad?"

Biwako sighed, grabbing her wrist. "Come on already!"

"See you, and good luck!" Mikoto said with a grin, raising Sasuke's hand in a wave.

"Remember, we need to keep your birth classified, try not to talk about it anymore, even to your friends!"

"Right, right sorry about that..." Kushina apologized bashfully, rubbing the back of her head.

"The fact we're leaving the village is classified as well!" Biwako told her as she folded her hands behind her back. "Don't go screaming your head off, even wen contractions start!"

"R-Right..."

**Outside the village, exact location unknown**

Out of the village, the birth had started. It was a large cave with a ramp leading up to it, and there was a river at the bottom of the cliff wall that lead up to it. In front of the cave itself was a Torii with four ANBU standing guard at strategic places, as well as several hidden in the trees on the opposite side of the river. Momentarily there was a flicker of the defense barrier around the cliff, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary...except for the screams of pain Kushina was having during her contractions.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!" Kushina yelled in pain. "IT HURTS, IT HURTS SO MUCH!"

"I...I've never seen Kushina in so much pain before..." Minato said, his hands over his wife's stomach. She was laying on the special birthing bed that was inside the cave, and her seal was clearly visible on her stomach. "Are you sure she's alright?"

"She's fine!" Biwako told him, her hands under the white cloth that was suspended over Kushina's legs for privacy. "Just keep your eyes on the seal!"

"But...she's-!"

"Good lord, you're the Yondaime Hokage, don't panic!" Biwako ordered him as she kept her hands in position while Taji looked on, ready with any medical ninjutsu help. "This is why men can't have babies, they can't handle the pain!"

The seal on Kushina's stomach began shifting from a whirlpool design...to what looked like a giant eye. She gritted her teeth in agony as the Kyubi began trying to break the seal, roaring as she strained to push her child out. She panted rapidly, breathing in and out as sweat trickled down her brow and she bit into her lip.

_Its so strong, I can feel the Fox trying to break out!_ Minato thought, redoubling his efforts to keep the seal in check. "Hang in there Kushina! Hang in there Naruto!"

Outside the cave, there was a minor battle. A man in a mask, wearing a black cloak was advancing as the defending ANBU tried countering him, tossing jutsus, kunai, and shuriken in an attempt to stop him. He leaped at the nearest ANBU, seeming to vanish and he grabbed his neck. With one swift movement, he crushed his trachea and left him to die drowning on his own blood. A whirlpool-like vortex appeared as he disappeared from a counterattack, appearing behind two more ANBU who were standing on the water and he shoved his hands into their backs...and solidified. They jerked as he destroyed their hearts, and he kicked the last one and jumped onto him, grabbing his neck and choking him to death. He lifted his hand off the dead ANBU's neck, turning his attention to the cave.

He took a step silently, the barrier flickering in an attempt to keep him out. And then...he turned intangible and took one step through the barrier...and then the rock of the cliff face like neither was there. And then there was no trace of him that could either be sensed, smelt, or seen.

Kushina gave another cry of pain as she continued pushing. Gritting her teeth, she closed her eyes tightly. "The head's out, almost there Kushina!" Biwako told her as she kept her hands ready.

"Keep going, Kushina!" Taji encouraged, looking up at her.

She felt the Kyubi roar in anger in her mind, trying to push forward. "Naruto, get out of there, Kyubi stay just where you are!" She gave a loud yell as the final contractions started and she began relaxing, panting heavily.

"Get the hot water!" Biwako ordered.

"Yes ma'am!" Taji yelled, running off.

Minato paused, looking at his panting wife. "Its okay..."

There was a new crying sound heard and in Biwako's arms there was the infant Naruto, letting everyone know he had arrived. He was wrapped in soft, warm blankets and he continued to cry, and his parents glanced over with an exhausted smile.

"Congratulations, its a healthy baby boy!" Biwako announced happily.

Tears of joy streamed down Minato's face as he wiped his eyes. "Look at me, I'm a father!"

Biwako moved Naruto close, putting him close to his mother's face. "Naruto...its good to finally meet you..."

"Okay Kushina, I know you're exhausted from the birth but we've gotta get the Kyubi completely sealed!" Minato said happily.

"Right!" Kushina cheered while panting.

Minato went to place his hands over Kushina's seal again when he heard Taji and Biwako cry out in pain. His head snapping back he saw that both of them had fallen on the ground...their blood starting to pool on the floor.

"Biwako-sama, Taji!"

Minato then slowly looked up to see the cloaked, mask man holding Naruto up with one hand, and holding the other over Minato's son's face. There was a fowl chakra emanating off of him which began making Yondaime's skin crawl. He took a single step and the man's hand began lowering, forcing him to stop mid-action.

"Yondaime Hokage...Minato. Back away from the Jinchuriki," he ordered, the eye hole of his mask now visible despite the shadow of his cloak. "Or else your son dies at the tender age of one minute."

_How did this guy break through the barrier...?_ Minato thought, keeping himself calm. _Who the hell is this guy?_

His foot began sliding back as Kushina hissed in pain. On her stomach, another black bubble began forming as the Kyubi attempted to break out. It popped before reforming again, even slower as a tiny amount of red chakra burst out.

"Kushina!" Minato yelled, glancing back as Kushina gritted her teeth. _The seal's not done!_

"Back away from the Jinchuriki...or do you care if your son dies or not?" the man demanded, a kunai dropping into his hand as he held it over the infant Naruto.

Minato glanced at Biwako's and Taji's bodies as blood continued to seep from the open wounds they had on their stomachs. His wife thrashed as she tried to keep her prisoner sealed inside her, grabbing the sides of the bed and using pure willpower to try to force the Kyubi back.

"Hold it, j-just stay calm," Minato said, putting his hand on Kushina's bed as he looked at the man.

"Oh, I'm perfectly calm..." he then tossed Naruto into the air, raising his kunai to where he'd fall. "You should take your own advice, Minato."

"NARUTO!" Kushina yelled as she watched.

Minato's eyes narrowed as he calmed himself as the masked man thrusts upwards with the kunai in his hand, intending to impale the baby without any care for his life. And then in a yellow flash, Naruto vanished before he could touch the man's kunai. He was now safely in his father's arms as Minato stood on the wall, crouching.

"You definitely live up to the Yellow Flash moniker," the masked man derided, his eye looking directly at the Yondaime Hokage. "But now what?"

Minato heard a sizzling sound and he looked underneath his son's blanket, seeing multiple in mid activation explosive tags attached to it. Acting quickly, he pulled Naruto out as the explosions began starting. Kushina's eyes widened as she pushed herself up.

"NARUTO! MINATO!"

Reacting quickly, Minato vanished in a yellow flash, carrying the mid-exploding tags to one of his safe houses before jumping out in a blur as they all exploded. Rolling on the ground as he shielded his son he finally skidded to a halt and looked down at Naruto who was crying.

"Thank god...you're not hurt..." Minato said in relief, seeing there wasn't a scratch on Naruto's body as he cried. There was a large splinter his own leg, however, and he yanked it out...glancing back at his Hiraishin kunai. _He's after Kushina he forced me to use the Hiraishin to separate us! Gotta hurry..._

Using the Hiraishin, Minato appeared at another of his safe houses outside the village. Naruto squirmed in his arms and he rocked him gently, and gently put him down on a nearby bed, pulling the blankets up over him. The infant Naruto immediately began to calm down, and his father leaned down and kissed his forehead gently.

"I'll be right back, Naruto. I just have to rescue your mom," Minato said comfortingly, standing up slowly.

**Location Unknown, Fire Country**

The moon slowly raised higher into the air as the masked man continued his operation. Kushina was restrained on a rock, black 'chains' of a sealing jutsu keeping her kneeling on it. The markings were chained around the four rocks behind her, with a small pond underneath her. She panted, looking weakly up at him.

"What...are you after...?"

"I came here to rip the Kyubi no Yoko from your stomach and crush Konoha..." he replied coldly, looking right at the 'eye' that her seal made on her stomach.

"...what...?" Kushina uttered in shock as the lines of the seal's breaking began to climb up to her face.

"Minato's teleportation technique uses a special marking that lets him instantly move from one marking to the next," the man ignored her question, looking at the steadily opening seal on her body. "I see he's incorporated it into the design of your own seal. All so he would be here to protect you...but I managed to get away from him." Kushina could...make out the Sharingan in the man's eye.

_He's...an Uchiha? But..._

"And the seal weakened from birth...do you have _any_ idea how long I've waited for this moment?"

Kushina's eyes widened and the veins bulged in her sclera as the extraction began. Inside her mind, where the Kyubi was sealed, the massive fox looked down as the masked Sharingan user focused on him. He gritted his teeth, the chains that bound him to the massive 'rock' clattered as he tried resisting. He was bound completely to the stone, spikes impaling all four paws, all nine tails, and even his stomach.

_**You...!**_

Despite his best efforts...the Sharingan began appearing in his eyes, and they slowly replaced them. The cat-like pupil was replaced by a human-like round pupil and on the edges of his iris...the tomoes of the Sharingan shrank into tiny, barely visible dots on the edge. The rock began melting as the seal was fully broken in that moment and with one movement, all the chains shattered as Kyubi threw his hands and his tails forward.

In the physical world, Kushina gave a cry as the Kyubi's cloak bubbled up forcefully around her and from her opened seal, a blackness came out through a little...tether of chakra to her body. Then the cloak expanded from her full body, and the fox's entire head was formed from the cloak.

"Come forth, Kyubi no Yoko!" the mask man commanded, making a seal.

From Kushina's stomach, the massive demon fox burst forward, regaining its flesh, blood, and full size. It stood on two feet and threw its from legs forward in a loud howl at the full moon. Its tails flickered, sending shockwaves along the countryside as it followed up the howl with a tremendous roar that could be heard for kilometers. Still though...due to being inside her for so long, Kushina still possessed a tether of Kyubi's chakra, and she slumped forward as her seal vanished.

The masked Sharingan user turned and took as step, leaving the woman on the rock. "We head for the village next..."

"S...STOP!" Kushina yelled as a chain shot from her body and passed right through the man's head. He seemed to turn around disinterestedly.

"...the Uzumaki Clan is truly something special, even wrenching a Biju out of your body didn't kill you outright," the masked Sharingan user remarked, stepping out of the chain attack as Kushina grunted, breaking it from her body. The Kyubi then lifted its paw up, looking menacingly down at her. "Its only fitting for the Kyubi to kill its former Jinchuriki."

The Kyubi slammed his hand down where Kushina was slumped on the rock...but she vanished in a small puff of smoke and reappeared on a nearby tree, in Minato's arms. He held her gently, reaching up to rub her cheek comfortingly.

"A small flash of hope..." the masked Sharingan user said. "But its too late..."

"Minato...Minato is...Naruto okay?" Kushina whispered weakly, sweat dripping from her brow as dark marks formed under her eyes, she was struggling to stay alive and conscious after the extraction.

"Yes, he's fine. I hid him somewhere safe," Minato replied reassuringly, rubbing her cheek.

"Oh...thank god..." she whispered as Yondaime shot a death glare at the masked Sharingan user. "Minato...stop the Kyubi...they're headed for the village..."

Minato looked down at Kushina silently...before vanishing in a circular flash of smoke when he activated his Hiraishin. The masked Sharingan user looked at the spot they vanished from for a few seconds, and he smirked behind his mask.

"Gone again..." he said with a smirk. "No matter...now onto Konoha!"

With that...he began vanishing into a swirling whirlpool vortex through his visible eye, the Kyubi standing there and waiting.

**Minato's hideout, location unknown**

Minato and Kushina arrived back at the hideout a few moments later, and the Hokage rose to his feet, walking over to the bed where he left Naruto. Their son was now sleeping peacefully, oblivious to the coming destruction of his home.

"...why...?" Kushina whispered softly.

Minato laid her gently in the bed next to Naruto. "Never mind the why...stay with Naruto..."

Kushina panted, looking at her son, and she gently pulled him close, putting their foreheads together as tears started to form in her eyes. "...Naruto..." She cuddled him softly, biting her lip as she forced herself to stay alive.

Her husband watched, and he slowly closed his hand into a tight fist before squeezing it tight. Storming over to his closet, he pulled it open and knelt down...grabbing more of his special Hiraishin kunai and slipping them into packs on his waist. He then stood up, looking at his coat...and he reached for it.

"Minato..." Kushina whispered, holding her newborn son close. "Thank you...good luck..."

"I'll be back before you know it," Minato said, pulling his coat on as the 'Yondaime' kanji showed prominently on it.

**Konohagakure**

At the Uchiha Compound, a young Itachi was holding his little brother as he looked up at the moon. The boy began having a strange feeling of dread, looking down at his little sibling. A bead of sweat began trickling down his cheek as he breathed in.

_Of all the times for mother and father to be out...where are they...?_ he thought as little Sasuke began waking up, and then began crying. _What's this awful feeling...? _He rocked his brother, slowly calming him down. "Don't cry Sasuke...your big brother is here to protect you..."

At the same time, two of the Sannin, Jiraiya and Orochimaru were walking back into the village through the West Gate. Both were wearing the standard Jonin uniform, and were highly respected in the village. The white haired Sannin grinned, rotating his shoulder, while his snake-like comrade was looking more solemn. They had just returned from a suppression mission on the border against Kumogakure, having encountered the new Raikage himself.

"Heh, I can't wait to do some research later tonight!" Jiraiya said with a grin.

"Yes, yes of course, Jiraiya," Orochimaru said as they walked through the crowd. "Still waiting for Tsunade-hime to return?"

"Heck yeah! After the night we had last year..." Jiraiya replied with a smirk. "Though I'll be checking in on Minato and Kushina...she's due today..."

Suddenly, both felt a chill in the air and looked up. "What was that...?" Orochimaru whispered, looking around.

"I don't know..." Jiraiya whispered, his eyes narrowing. "But something bad seems to be coming."

Near a large tree further inside the village, Hatake Kakashi and Maito Gai were walking down the street, past a huge tree as they met up with Sarutobi Asuma, Yuhi Kurenai, and Mitarashi Anko. Anko was munching on her third dango stick, Asuma was taking out a cigarette and Kurenai was sipping a drink.

"Hey guys," Kakashi said as he walked over with Gai. "Your mission went well?"

Asuma smirked. "Perfectly," he said, snapping his lighter close as smoke began wafting from his cigarette, and he took a deep drag from it.

Gai then threw his arms back, his eyes blazing with a new challenge for his 'rival'. "Yosh! Kakashi, my eternal rival, we shall race around the entire village on our index fingers to see whose best this time!"

"Can't we just do janken this time, Gai?"

"Not again! I want a more hot-blooded contest! And you call yourself my rival!"

Kakashi blinked, and looked up and around. "...hey guys...do you sense something off? Like there's an awful chill in the air...?"

"Why do you have to act like this?" Gai roared angrily. "We're only young once!"

At the Hokage Tower, Hiruzen was enjoying a good smoke from his pipe as he filled out the paper work while Minato was away helping Kushina deliver her baby. He flipped through a expense report of the village, seeing how much the border war with Kumo was costing. Hiruzen lifted his pipe out of his mouth and blew out a ring of smoke, and then he looked up suddenly.

_It couldn't be...!_

And then, on the outskirts of Konoha, just near the southern wall, the masked man appeared from a swirling vortex. Dropping to one knee, he slammed his palm down. Two huge circular markings expanded from his hand to the buildings he was standing in the middle of.

"Kuchiyoise no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!"

In a massive puff of smoke, the people walking through the streets looked up as a shockwave of the mass that was distributed hit them. Buildings were torn asunder as both civilians and shinobi were sent flying like ragdolls, being killed either by the fall or by the debris. Like a terrifying blooming flower...nine red tails spread out, the first two slamming down on the wall like it was nothing. Standing before them was the Kyubi no Yoko, the strongest of all the Biju.

"T-Thats..."

"Attack, demon fox!" the masked man commanded.

Kyubi took a step, completely smashing an entire building under its massive foot as it took a deep breath, letting lose a loud roar. Adding its chakra to the roar, it blew apart all the buildings around it, practically flattening them as it sent the stunned citizens of Konoha flying into the air. Its tails swished as it began charging through the village, destroying buildings like they were made of cards.

The masked man smirked, slowly sinking into the ground as his pet began fullfilling his plan. The few shinobi in the area who weren't killed in the initial attack began scrambling to either get the civilians out or distract the demon fox. Several brave ones leaped up, tossing kunai with explosive tags attached to draw its attention, or shot blasts of fire, wind, or lightning at it. However, the Kyubi just swatted them away like flies, crushing several with one swipe of its tails or paws.

From the west gate, Jiraiya and Orochimaru felt the carnage and began leaping onto the buildings. "How did the Kyubi get here?" Orochimaru demanded, biting his thumb as they kept moving.

"I don't know!" Jiraiya yelled, leaping to another building and summoning a series of smaller toads to begin helping the civilians evacuate. _Did Kushina's seal fail? If that's the case, how did the demon get all the way here from the hiding place?_

He jumped down to street level while Orochimaru continued to run on the buildings. Jiraiya's toads continued to lead civilians out, shielding them from debris and shockwaves that the Kyubi kept throwing up. The Toad Sannin landed where Team Ino-Shika-Cho were covering the retreat. In the distance, a group of ANBU leaped up, launching a combined Futon, Katon, Doton, Suiton, and Raiton attack right at the massive demon fox. In response, the Kyubi gave another massive roar, flattening the area as the combined elemental attack was sent crashing back into its users. The massive fox then began charging offensively, tearing up more of the village as explosions went off under its feat as it trampled gas lines.

Orochimaru leaped up when it did that. "I'm going to stall him, Jiraiya, back me up!"

He slammed his palm forward, and in a massive puff of smoke the mightiest serpent was summoned. Manda gave a hissing roar as Orochimaru rode on his head, zipping towards the Kyubi at high speed. The demon fox slashed at it the approaching purple form, but Manda dodged it and he wrapped around Kyubi. The fox roared, its arms, torso, and tails restrained around in the giant snake's muscular body.

"JIRAIYA, NOW! MANDA CAN'T HOLD THIS FOR LONG!" Orochimaru ordered on Manda's head.

"RIGHT!" Jiraiya yelled, biting his thumb and leaping up. "Kuchiyoise no Jutsu!"

In another massive smoke, the Toad Sannin summoned Gamahiro, who immediately took the building sized swords off its back to begin an attack. Jiraiya landed on his head and with a mighty leap of the massive toad's legs, they charged the restrained Kyubi. Bearing his teeth angrily, the demon fox roared, violently breaking Manda's hold on him. Orochimaru and his snake cried as the were sent flying into Konoha's wall.

However, Gamahiro was able to get in close attacking with an X-Slash at the Kyubi's waist. The blades, despite the giant toad's strength's behind them, as well as their sheer sharpness...broke in two and were sent flying back by just coming in contact with the demon's skin! Forming a fist, Kyubi slammed it up in an uppercut, hitting Gamahiro in the chin and sending him crashing all the way across Konoha and slamming right into the bottom of the Hokage Monument, barely missing the Hokage Tower.

Jiraiya groaned. _Its...just too strong...Minato...where are you?_

Hiruzen had managed to get his armor on and was standing on top of the tower as Gamahiro groaned in pain beside it. An ANBU in a dog mask appeared in a puff of smoke, kneeling in front of him as he pulled up his gauntlet.

"Sandaime Hokage-sama, its the Kyubi! The Kyubi started attacking the village out of nowhere!"

"I can see for myself, focus on evacuating the civilians," Hiruzen said calmly, a bead of sweat dripping down his brow as Jiraiya hopped off of Gamahiro's head as the giant toad puffed away at the same time Manda did. _Did Kushina's seal fail? Were all our safeguards for nothing...?_

Jiraiya wiped his lip, spitting out some blood. "I can still fight sensei!"

"Good," Hiruzen said as in a puff of smoke he summoned the Monkey King Enma, who immediately transformed into the Kongōnyoi. "We have to be sure to attack before it gets bored of its usual destruction methods..."

It was just then, Minato appeared on top of the Hokage Monument, on top of the highest spike in his 'face' on the monument. He breathed in, seeing the destruction as the Kyubi let loose another roar and breathed a tongue of flame into the streets of the village. It then looked up, seeing the Yondaime Hokage standing right there.

"So you noticed me already?" Minato asked, his cape flapping in the wind as the Kyubi stomped, facing him from a distance. Black and white chakra began swirling around the demon fox's mouth, forming a large black ball as he opened it. In response, Minato did a few seals around his Hiraishin Kunai. "Not on my watch!"

Like an enormous cannon ball, the massive Bijudama was launched from the Kyubi's mouth. It plowed through the village, crushing everything that it flew over. Jiraiya and Hiruzen managed to leap off the Hokage Tower, however the ANBU wasn't so lucky as he was crushed when the tower was blown apart. Minato pushed his hands forward and lines appeared in the air...which swallowed up the Bijudama harmlessly. He then transported it far outside the village, where it exploded taking a mountain range with it, the explosion being seen from the center of Konoha.

_That was close...that's the safest place I could have put it..._

From one of the evacuation zones, Akimichi Choza and Nara Shikaku had watched what had happened. They saw a massive barren landscape of destroyed buildings with the earth itself exposed from where the Kyubi shot its Bijudama all the way towards the Hokage Monument. The tower was still partially standing, although the entire top of it had collapsed.

"It stopped the Kyubi's attack! A Jikukan Kekkai (Time-Space Barrier)!" Choza gasped as Shikaku narrowed his eyes to get a better look.

"Its Minato-sama, he's arrived!"

Hiruzen straightened himself out, slamming the Kongōnyoi down as Jiraiya wiped the blood away from his lips. Orochimaru arrived, cracking his neck as he opened his mouth, and pulled out the Kusanagi sword. Dozens of other shinobi leaped down behind them as the Sandaime Hokage and his students began forming a counter attack.

_I have to warn Sandaime..._ Minato thought as the masked man appeared behind him out of his strange swirling vortex jutsu. Reacting in an instant, Yondaime spun around aiming to stab him right in the head. However...his attack just passed through him like it was air...and the masked man continued to raise his hand, his fingers passing through Minato's wrist before the swing had completed its arc, and then he grabbed his wrist.

"**You** will face _me_..." the masked man said in a taunting voice, tightening his grip. "Aaaannnnd...we're done..."

He then activated his jutsu and began to pull Minato right into where his eye was. Reacting as best he could...Yondaime disappeared right before he was about to disappear completely into the center of the vortex. He flexed his hand in surprise, looking up at the night sky.

"He teleported...talk about fast," the masked man said in slight surprise. "Next time I'll warp you the moment I lay my hand on you."

–-

**Minato's hideout**

Minato fell to the ground where he left one of his Hirashin Kunai, and he glanced around as he picked himself up. Getting his pack open quickly, he tossed his extra kunai around in strategic places to prepare himself for when the masked man arrived. He put his hand onto his head, closing his eyes to think and calm himself.

_My attack slipped right through..._ he thought, squeezing the kunai hilt in his hand. _But a moment later...he was solid again...and trying to suck me into some dimension or something. What was that move?_

In another vortex, the masked man appeared before him again. "You won't escape me."

_Does he use Jikukan Ninjutsu as well? Whatever he did, it must have been how he moved so far with Kushina!_ His eyes narrowed, meeting the masked man's eyes and seeing the Sharingan in the hole of his mask. _He defeated the ANBU that were under the direct command of Sandaime, his hand picked...and he got past the most powerful barrier we have. And he must have known the seal would be weak when Kushina was giving birth._ The masked man took out manacles with a long chain attached to them to his wrists. _Then with the seal undone he took control of the Kyubi...even extracting it right from Kushina's stomach with another technique I don't recognize...and marched straight to the village without so much as passing through the barrier. There's only one man I can think of that makes sense..._

The image of the Valley of the End flashed in Minato's mind, the Shodaime Hokage, Senju Hashirama facing down the full might of the Kyubi no Yoko as he created a forest to counter. Then in the air, his opponent and arch rival Uchiha Madara leaping up, blowing out a massive blast of flame from his lips, with Hashirama countering with a wave of water higher than the waterfall they were fighting in. The Kyubi then prepared a Bijudama...

"Are you Uchiha Madara...?" he asked as the man lifted his hood off, his chains clattering. "No...you couldn't be. He's long dead."

"Oh...I don't know about _that_..."

"On second thought, I don't need to know who you are," Minato said as the masked man continued pacing. "But why have you attacked Konoha?"

"Oh, you now...its fun, its part of my plan..." the man replied mockingly. "To start a war...to bring peace."

_Whoever he is, he's very powerful...he can control the Kyubi and wields Jikukan Ninjutsu that exceed both Nidaime's and my own. And he clearly has evil intentions..._ Minato thought as he lifted his kunai in a horizontal guard. _If I don't kill him now, or at least incapacitate him, he'll become a bigger threat than the Fox! If I just teleport back to the village, he'll just follow me and things will get even more chaotic. If he really is Madara, the I doubt he can keep the Kyubi summoned for long...I'll just have to leave the village in Sandaime's hands and finish this man off here and now!_

"There's no hope for you!" the masked man announced, charging at full speed at Minato.

Minato ran towards him, meeting his charge as he thrusts out his kunai in a stab and again he past through the masked Sharingan user's body once more, nearly getting entangled in his chains after he solidified again. In response, Yondaime vanished in a yellow flash to another kunai in one of the trees and the masked man followed, launching a punch which made Minato duck. Minato was forced to go through his entire network, teleporting and avoiding the masked man's attacks.

_He's trying to force me to reveal where I threw all of them!_ Minato thought, appearing back on ground level and kneeling down. He opened his hand as the masked man appeared a distance behind him from the last tag. _He makes his body intangible to negate attacks, then solidifies to counterattack. My only shot is to trade hits with him! But attacking at all is a big risk for him...if he can only keep the Kyubi summoned for a short time, he won't want to have this fight drag on. My only option is to beat him in speed, whoever strikes a split-second earlier wins!_

The masked man moved his hands around, readying for Minato's next attack as the Yondaime charged at him once more. In response, he began charging towards him too, the two moving in a blur as they picked up speed as they approached each other. Changing his strategy, Minato threw his kunai right at the masked man, which then passed through his head as the two converged. Time seemed to slow down as they kept their charge.

When both were near striking distance...the kunai began appearing out of the masked man's head as he began a long reach for Minato's chest. In response, the Hokage created a Rasengan, the spinning ball of chakra not even causing his opponent to worry despite it being twice the size of a normal one. Behind his mask, the masked man grinned even though Minato moved his Rasengan hand close to his head to seemingly counter.

_Got-!_ The Masked Man thought, just about to lay his hand when Minato vanished. The color drained from his face as his Sharingan widened.

And then, from right above him Minato twirled as the kunai continued flying on its course. He then went into an immediate downward thrust with his Rasengan, smashing it down full force on the masked man's back before he could turn intangible.

"RASENGAN!" Minato yelled, slamming the full force of his attack hitting the masked man on the back, and he idly caught the kunai. "This was Hiraishin Kou-Ni (Flying Thunder God Version Two)."

The Rasengan slammed the masked man down, and the entire area cratered. Massive slabs of rock and soil were sent jutting up from the force of the impact, and then it went even deeper as Minato kept pushing down. His Rasengan then began disappearing and he slapped his Hiraishin seal onto the masked man's back. Blood appeared on his hand from the masked man's fresh wound. The masked man leaped away, cradling his arm as he panted.

His arm began turning into white goop as red blood began flowing down it. Suddenly, Minato flashed towards him and stabbed his kunai into his stomach. The force made him stumble back and his hand went flying off, soon turning into goo as well.

_Hiraishin no Jutsu...he must have planted his seal somewhere on my body!_

Minato then vanished, and to the masked man's Sharingan he could see him appearing from all angles. A slash down his chest appeared, then across his neck, then two slashes on his hack before finally Yondaime reappeared, slamming his heel into the masked man's chin.

"Kiiroi Senkō Dangan (Yellow Flash Bullet)," Minato uttered coldly as the masked man landed on his feet, bleeding from his new wounds as Minato flashed over again, getting some of his opponent's blood and slamming his palm into his chest.

"A...Keiyaku Fūin (Contract Seal)...are you trying to remove my control over the Fox?"

"No, I already _did_," Minato replied, continuing his dark glare. "You no longer have control over him!"

**Konohagakure**

In front of the Konoha defenders, the Kyubi began thrashing in pain and it let lose a mournful wail. Hiruzen, Koharu, and Homura were fighting side by side when they saw the demon's eye shoot open...and a Sharingan appeared. It then slowly began receding, replaced with the Kyubi's natural slitted eye. It then stomped on a building, causing it it erupt in an explosion and it a loud, terrifying roar.

On the ground, a young Umino Iruka had been protected by the blast and debris by his mother, who was panting weakly as blood leaked from her mouth. "Iruka...are you hurt...?"

"Mom..." he whispered, seeing the huge gash on her back from debris. Her flak jacket didn't even protect her despite the steel plates underneath the green cloth. "Dad! Mom's-!"

"I'll take care of your mother, get out of here!" his father commanded as red blood trickled from his forehead.

"No way! I can't leave you and mom alone!" Iruka protested, his eyes widening. "I'll protect her!"

"Cut the crap, parents are supposed to take care of their children Iruka!" his father commanded desperately. "Get out of here now!"

At Hiruzen's position, a young ANBU landed. "I'm here, Hokage-sama."

"Good, attack the best you can Tenzo," Hiruzen said as the ANBU nodded, jumping in for an attack as Kyubi used it's tails to smash through several buildings, sending another enraged roar out.

"Mokuton: Daijurin no Jutsu (Wood Release: Great Forest Technique)!" he yelled, throwing his arm out as tendrils of wood appeared, shooting around the Kyubi's mouth, stopping it from roaring. He gritted his teeth behind his mask, letting the wood fall away from his arm as he leaped back.

Hiruzen then leaped into an attack of his own, landing on the Kyubi's head as it tried clawing at the wooden muzzle that Tenzo had created. _**This blasted Mokuton...I thought with Shodaime dead, I'd never have to deal with it again!**_

"Doton: Take Sumasshu (Moutnain Smash)!" he yelled, running down the demon's neck, spitting a wave of mud to cover it all...and he jumped back as a small mountain grew from Kyubi's back and smashed the demon right to the ground, pinning it. "Keep fighting, we just have to keep stalling it until Minato gets here!"

He smashed his Kongōnyoi into the Kyubi's eye, momentarily blinding it. In response, the Kyubi broke the binding on its mouth and let lose a wave of chakra from its back which shattered the earth wall binding it. Hiruzen channeled chakra to his feet to keep himself from falling off the demon's head, parrying his claws with his staff. He then backflipped off as Kyubi created another Bijudama, firing it right into the crowd of defenders.

"Not on my watch!" Hiruzen yelled, landing on the ground as he did a seal, intertwining all his fingers. "Doton: Dachi Haikkekaku no Jutsu (Earth Release: Earth Consumption Technique)!"

A massive wall in the shape of a monkey rose, and Hiruzen had its mouth open wide. The Bijudama slammed in and the Sandaime Hokage slammed his hands down, the wall disappearing underground as he channeled the Bijudama safely out of the village. In the distance, the Bijudama exploded underground, simulating the eruption of a volcano.

He breathed in and out through his nose, slamming the end of his Kongōnyoi down onto the ground as his eyes narrowed. _Where is Minato?_

The Kyubi growled, and in a giant red flash, it jumped out of the village, skidding to a stop as its tails continued whipping in the air. It gave a roar as several ninja began tossing kunai and shuriken at it to try to get its attention off the village. Lifting its paw, it smashed the first few just as the chirping of birds was heard.

"CHIDORI!" Kakashi yelled, charging up the Kyubi's leg and he smashed his attack into its face, his Sharingan blazing. The attack didn't even get through the fur, but it got its attention. "NOW GAI!"

"RIGHT!" Gai yelled, leaping into the air as green chakra burst off his body. "Keimon (Gate of Joy)...OPEN!" He then got right into the Kyubi's line of vision in a burst of speed. "Asa...KUJAKU (Morning Peacock)!"

He began punching the air and sending fireballs right at Kyubi's face which impacted with enough force to move its head an inch. However, the barrage only seemed to annoy the demon and it gave a roar, blowing Kakashi and Gai away. Both were caught by Jiraiya on Gamaken's head, and Gamaken blitzed Kyubi, smashing his shield into the demon's face.

"Fall back Gamaken!" Jiraiya ordered, the giant toad nodding and leaped back. Kakashi and Gai groaned from the impact of the roar, and Jiraiya sighed. "You two were supposed to be evacuated with the rest of your generation."

"We couldn't sit by and let our village be destroyed, Jiraiya-sama!" Gai said as the pain from the gates hit him. "We have to...do our part!"

"Gai's right, Jiraiya-sama. We all need to fight the Kyubi until Minato-sensei comes back," Kakashi said as he stood up on Gamaken's head.

Jiraiya sighed, and he smirked. "You two have guts, I'll give you that..."

"We've driven it from the village!" Hiruzen yelled, pointing at the Kyubi who was snarling in irritation. "Continue the attack!"

**Minato's Hideout**

The masked man leaped to a tree branch, still panting and bleeding from his many wounds. Minato could see through the eye-hole a trickle of red blood going down his eye. The Sharingan closed momentarily before opening again...the sclera stained with the man's own red blood. He lifted his remaining arm to his shoulder, still panting.

"You truly are worthy of the title of Yondaime Hokage...to wound me to such an extent...and managing to wrest control of the Kyubi from me," he said, breathing in and out as he kept his cool. "But someday, it will be mine again." The whirlpool effect of his jutsu activated and he panted. "The Kyubi, and this world will someday be mine. Many doors are still open to me..."

And with that, he vanished into the swirling vortex generated by his eye as Minato's eyes narrowed. _Something tells me...he isn't lying..._

**Konohagakure, outside the walls**

A desperate counter attack on the Kyubi began, being lead by Hiruzen, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru. Orochimaru had reappeared after he had finished evacuating the remaining civilians trapped in the village into the war shelters that he knew of. The snake sannin gritted his teeth, yanking out his Kusanagi as he jumped for an attack at the giant demon.

"Kuchiyoise**: **Sen'ei Tajashu (Summoning: Many Snake Hands)!" he yelled, shooting about a dozen snakes from his wrists and having them bite into the Kyubi's nose, and yank him up. "YAH!"

He used the momentum and swung up above the Fox's head before plunging down, stabbing the Kyubi right in it's forehead. However...to his shock the Kusanagi shattered in two, the blade flying off in the opposite direction and he was then hit hard by the Kyubi's tail.

**Little gnat...**

"Hold it off till Yondaime arrives!" one of the ninja on the ground yelled, throwing dozens of shuriken right at the beast.

At that moment, a ninja had grabbed the young Iruka, pulling him from the battlefield. "Lemme go! My parents are still fighting!"

At the safe area for the younger generation, there were several barrier tags spread around as Yuhi Hideyoshi kept watch. Hyuga Hiashi and his twin brother, Hizashi were providing a look out, both their Byakugan were active as they relayed the situation of the village to Hideyoshi. The new Hyuga Head performed a seal...extending his Byakugan's range so he could see nearly the _entire_ village.

"...the destruction..." he whispered, glancing at his brother. "Most of the clan compounds have been hit, not even the Uchiha's has escaped unharmed...where are the military police?"

"I'm not picking them up, brother..." Hizashi said...he could only get his Byakugan to extend a kilometer, though his was able to pick up details better than his brother's. "Maybe they're getting their own clansmen to the shelter?"

"Possibly, though Fugaku-san should be out here fighting," Hiashi replied as he thought of his wife...using his Byakugan to take a look at the Hyuga Compound. Piercing through the barriers, he could see Hannah-and their unborn child were still safe. _Thank god..._

"What do you mean?" Kurenai then yelled at her father. "We should be out there fighting!"

Asuma groaned. "Kurenai, he's already pissed that Kakashi and Gai were able..."

Hideyoshi closed his eyes. "I don't want _any_ of you kids going anywhere near the Kyubi. We're not fighting another village, this is an internal matter. And not something you should be risking your lives for..."

"That's a load of crap and you know it!" Kurenai shouted, preparing to use one of her genjutsu to try to fool the barrier.

"Calm down Kurenai..." Asuma whispered.

"You're shinobi, you might not live a long life. As such, all of you need to pass on the Will of Fire to the next generation due to the risk," Hideyoshi said calmly. "Pass the Will onto our grandchildren...promise me that at least, and I'll put my faith in you."

Hiashi looked up. "The Kyubi's creating one of those chakra balls again, its...getting huge!"

Back at the battlefield, Kyubi had opened his mouth wide as black and white chakra began swirling around its muzzle. **_Damn pests, I'll wipe you all out with one attack!_** It thought as the ground began shattering under its feet. The Bijudama began growing as more black and white chakra swirled around it and everyone there could feel the destructive chakra.

Minato reappeared on the Hokage Monument, looking down at the damage. Nearly two thirds of the village had been crushed, much of it was in flames, and the scar from the first Bijudama was still visible. The dead and dying villagers and shinobi were strewn in the barren streets, some burnt so badly they were unrecognizable. It was like Konoha had been ravaged in War...he then saw the Kyubi in the distance, readying another chakra bomb in its mouth which was even larger than before!

_This is awful!_

"Not again!" Hiruzen snarled, dropping to one knee and the Hyuga bodyguard near him tried to help him up.

Jiraiya gritted his teeth, breathing in as he saw the massive Bijudama. _Damn it...there has to be some way..._

"Kuchiyoise_**: **_Yatai Kuzushi no Jutsu (Summoning: Toad Food Court Destroyer)!" was then heard and Gamabunta plummeted from above the Kyubi, smashing into its back before it could complete its attack. And there, on top of his head was Minato!

"Sensei!" Kakashi shouted.

"Minato, bout time you arrived!" Jiraiya yelled.

"Its Yondaime!" another ninja remarked.

Minato remembered what the masked man said, and he closed his eyes. _Sorry Kushina..._ Opening them, he focused and looked down at Gamabunta. "Keep the Fox pinned for a minute!"

"Easier...said than...done!" Gamabunta yelled, smashing his hands down on Kyubi's neck to keep it from getting back up. "I may be big...but I'm not a miracle worker!"

"I need enough chakra to get him out of here!" Minato said as Hiruzen stared the Kyubi right in the face, seeing the Bijudama become complete and shrink...and the Fox just bit it and smoke came wafting out of its mouth.

Suddenly, in a puff of smoke Kyubi vanished, as did Minato. The rest of Gamabunta's weight smashed to the ground finally since the demon was gone, leaving a massive crater. Everyone held their breath, wondering if the Kyubi would finally be gone.

"Minato...did he teleport himself and the Kyubi?" Hiruzen whispered, and there was a large, nearly black red dome explosion cresting over the mountains and hills in the distance, even from the village's outskirts they could feel the shockwaves. "Out there!"

**Minato's hideout**

The Kyubi was crouched low, looking in surprise at the destroyed landscape of his Bijudama detonating. Several mountains were blown apart from ground zero of the explosion and debris was still falling around the area. He looked around in confusion, Minato was now carrying both Kushina and baby Naruto, panting slightly.

"We need to set up a barrier!" Minato yelled.

"Leave that to me!" Kushina exclaimed, creating a tiger seal and from her back and chest, several chains burst out.

The Kyubi was now attempting to make a break for it when the chains wrapped around his legs, neck, and tails, then jammed into the ground and above and a powerful shimmering barrier was formed. The massive demon growled angrily, struggling against the chains. Kushina panted, blood now dripping from her nose and lips, but she looked determined...

"Minato...take care of Naruto..." Kushina whispered, steeling herself. "I'll draw the Kyubi back inside me and we'll both die...it'll take a few years for it to revive, giving Konoha enough time to prepare to recapture it..."

"What...?" Minato asked, his eyes going wide.

"Its...my responsibility as its Jinchuriki..." she said, panting weakly as she saw a tear beginning to go down Minato's cheek. "...don't worry about it...Minato...it's our son's birthday...my only regret...is that I won't be able to see Naruto when he's older..."

Minato sniffled, and then lifted his hand up and wiped his eye. "...you will be able to," he said after a moment.

"Minato...?" Kushina asked as her husband began doing a set of seals, channeling the last amount of his chakra...to summon a Shinigami...the Death God. "Shiki Fuin? Minato that's..."

"Kushina...you'd be able to recover with medical attention," he said after a moment. "Naruto needs his mother more than he needs me..."

Kushina's eyes widened. "Wait...no Minato..."

"As the Hokage, and as his father, I need to do this!" Minato said as the Death God formed behind him. "I'll seal the Yin half of Kyubi's chakra into the Shinigami...and the Yang half into Naruto."

"Naruto? Why are you burdening him with this?"

Minato closed his eyes, remembering what his sensei talked about...a 'Destined Child'... "...since he's going to need it...he's the one whose going to defeat the man who did all this."

"Minato...he's our son...you can't..."

"...it has to happen, Kushina," he bent down, hugging her tightly. "...this is the best way I can protect Naruto too...and give the future the fighting chance it needs."

Kushina breathed out. "...Minato...I..." if she hadn't been so weakened from the day's events...she could have debated longer. "...very well...I'll make sure he knows it's for his own well being..."

Minato smiled. "After all this time, I've finally won an argument with you..." he said, sounding sad. "...if anything goes wrong, I'll seal some of your chakra into the seal itself to help our son when he tries to take control of the Fox."

"Right..." she looked at Naruto who was now sleeping pleasantly despite the raging fox nearby. "Naruto-kun...we'll be there for you..."

**Present, Naruto's mind, Biju Sealing Chamber**

Naruto had listened to his mother's story in its entirety, almost captivated in what his father and the others had done. And his eyes narrowed...everything that Madara had done...and he squeezed his hand into a tight fist. He then blinked, looking at Kushina.

"If you're here...something went wrong right...?" Naruto asked her.

"Yes..." Kushina admitted sadly, breathing out. "When Minato had sealed the Yin Chakra, my binds around the Kyubi were weakened due to it shrinking half its original size. When Minato went to seal the Kyubi inside you...it lashed out, trying to kill you. Both Minato and myself leaped in front of it's path...and we stopped it's claw from hitting you."

"...I see..." Naruto said, rubbing his eye. "...thanks for telling me mom...I know what to do now."

Kushina wiped her own eye. "You...don't regret what we did to you?"

"No...I'm thankful...and I'm thankful that you love me so much! It makes me so happy," Naruto said with a grin. "Both you and dad! Man...I got a lot to tell Hinata-chan and Bee-sensei!"

"I wish I had more time...I'd have loved to hear how your girlfriend is..." Kushina said as she began to drift away. Naruto came over, pulling her into a hug.

"I love you mom...thank you..."

Kushina smiled sadly...fading away...but Naruto could still feel the warmth of her embrace. Pausing for a few seconds...he broke out into the widest smile he ever had. Filled with the confidence and love of his parents, he threw his arms into the air, cheering and making a vow.

_I swear to be a bigger badass than my father...and stronger than my mother!_ He thought to himself with a grin. _And I will defeat Madara, once and for all!_

_To be continued..._


	15. The Spy is Caught? Shark vs Beast!

Chapter 15: The Spy is Caught! The Shark vs The Blue Beast!

**Mountain's Grave, exact location unknown**

In Madara's primary base, near the Gedo Mazo statue, there was a cell that barely saw daylight. The person in the cell was in remarkably good condition despite being sealed up inside it for over a decade and a half. There seemed to be golden chains that extended from her body, impaled throughout the stone floor and ceiling, and several through the opposite wall. Her long, red hair was unkempt, but still had a slight shine to it. Uzumaki Kushina was in a poor state...but that didn't mean she was out.

_Its been...16 years...that masked bastard is starting to get complacent..._

Testing one of her chains, she pulled, hearing the creaks in the stone above. A small smile appeared on Kushina's face as she twisted it...using the spikes on the chain like a drill to continually get up higher and higher...she then blinked, falling forward as she felt a rush of chakra.

_Naruto...he's...he's taken control of the Kyubi and gotten my message!_ Kushina thought, looking up. She then squeezed her hand into a tight fist. _Then I have to redouble my efforts!_

She began testing out her chains, breathing in as she began channeling more chakra through them to weaken the cell around her. Now that she knew Naruto was alive, and had taken control of the Fox, nothing would stop her from escaping!

**Island Turtle, Biju Sealing Chamber**

Naruto was still sitting cross-legged in front of Yamato, Bee, and Hinata. His look of seriousness had changed to a look of serenity, then joy. He threw his arms into the air and gave a loud cheer, hopping back up to his feet.

"Yes!" Naruto said with a grin.

For several seconds, Yamato blinked. "...okay...what does that mean? Did you do it?"

Naruto gave a thumbs up. "I now have control over Kyubi's chakra!"

"Yo yo, show me what you did!" Bee said with a smirk, offering his fist and Naruto pressed his own against it. "Oh...oh yeah! That's badass, that's what that is...nice, you made the Fox pay the price!"

Hinata and Yamato sweat dropped, and the Mokuton user growled. "We can't hear what you're saying, you know!"

"Right, right!" Naruto said cheerfully, jumping up to his feet and he went over to Hinata. "Well...for starters I met my mom!"

"You did Naruto-kun...but how?" Hinata asked as he lifted her up happily, spinning her around.

"Dad used some of her chakra in the seal when he made it. It was designed to bring her back to meet me and help me control the Kyubi," Naruto said as he set her down gently. "She was really awesome and strong!"

"Yondaime-sama...actually thinking that far ahead even in his last moments..." Yamato said in awe, rubbing the back of his head. "Nothing'd really surprise me about him anymore..."

"That's not the best part though...I learned what happened that night," Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head. "Madara attacked Konoha that day, extracting the Kyubi from my mom to be his weapon..."

Hinata put her hand on his shoulder as Naruto took a deep breath. "I'm going to be the one to finally defeat that monster..."

"What else happened during the attack?" Hinata asked as the young Hokage began explaining, telling them all of the details that Kushina had told him.

"...and that's nearly everything," Naruto said as he finished, breathing out. He squeezed his hand into a tight fist.

"I see...I'll inform the rest of the village on the full truth of that night," Yamato said, putting his hand to his chin. _That explains why the Kyubi fought like it was a puppet that night...that still doesn't explain what happened to Kushina's body afterwards though..._

"Well...now I'll show you what happens when I use the Fox's chakra now!" Naruto exclaimed, changing the subject.

In his mind, Naruto walked up to the miniature sun which was composed of the Kyubi's unrestricted, purified chakra. Below it there were three torii's which kept it from wandering around his mind. Tendrils of chakra wafted off like a star's corona, and the 'water' of Naruto's mind rippled and shuddered with every movement. He lifted his hand and drew in some of the massive chakra sun's chakra to his body.

In the real world, Bee, Hinata, and Yamato watched as Naruto was engulfed in a bright yellow chakra with a reddish tint on the edges. It was like a life giving flame, filling the room with a warm yellow glow. On his stomach, a black whirlpool appeared as a claw like black object appeared underneath it pointing downward. Six black magatama appeared around his neck, and two more whirlpools with thicker lines appeared on his shoulders with the same claw pointing downward. Black outlines appeared around the whirlpool, going up and to his shoulders, then going down his arms and legs. The fiery aura danced around him, and he gave a grin.

"Looks pretty awesome huh?" Naruto asked with a grin. The mokuton constructs that Yamato made earlier begun growing into full trees, making the mokuton user blink.

"Incredible...so full of life energy...its like its the exact opposite of what the chakra is when the Fox has it under his control," Yamato said with amazement.

Hinata's jaw lowered, seeing chakra flames which had engulfed Naruto. He was grinning, looking around...and then he sensed something. He punched his fist to his hand, looking at Bee...more specifically Samehada on his back.

"Alright, how long have you been hiding there? Get out!" Naruto said with a snarl.

"Huh?" Hinata, Bee, and Yamato said, looking around while in Samehada...Kisame blinked in surprise.

_Impossible! Samehada and I share the same chakra signature, I shouldn't be able to be detected even by the best sensors! I even fooled that girl with the Byakugan!_

"I can't explain it, but I feel an overwhelmingly negative presence..." Naruto said, pointing at Bee's Samehada. "Right in that sword!"

Samehada responded to that...by leaping off of Bee's back and landing with it's 'tail', the hilt acting like a single leg right behind Hinata. From the top of it, Hoshigaki Kisame himself came out of the swords mouth, smirking as he took out a kunai, pointing it right at the Hyuga Heiress's neck.

"I guess I can't continue my surveillance any longer," Kisame said with a smirk. Extending one of the spikes that made up Samehada's body, he opened up the sealing chamber. "I'm going to go out of here quietly, and this pretty head won't be hurt..."

Yamato growled as Bee took out his swords. Hinata's eyes widened...but she went back to a calm determination. _I...I don't need anyone to save me...I need to stand on my own, we can't let this Akatsuki escape!_ Focusing her chakra to her eyes. "Byakugan!"

Her Byakugan activated...and then morphed to the form it was before. The yin-yang symbol appeared in her eyes. And when it did, all the chakra pores on her body opened and released a stream of spinning chakra around her...forming a Kaiten in a split second! Before Kisame could reacted, and before Samehada could absorb the chakra, both were sent flying towards the wall. The Tail-less Biju let out a grunt of surprise as he impacted the white walls, a little bit of blood leaking from his lip.

_What the hell was that? I thought Hyuga needed to **spin** to do that move!_ He thought as he started to fall. Wincing, he got a better look at her eyes as she turned. _Wait...is that even a Byakugan?_

Naruto blinked, looking at Hinata but then back at Kisame. "I won't let you escape!" he said, moving to leap...and time seemed to slow down for him. The Tail-less Biju had barely begun to fall when he was _smashed_ against the wall _again_, this time the wall splintering and cracking as Naruto slammed his fist hard into Kisame's body which was still in Samehada. _What...how..._

"What...what was that?" Yamato asked, head darting back to Hinata, then to Naruto whose fist was still embedded in Samehada.

"Yeesh, non-spinning Kaiten smashed Kisame like a melon! And was that a Shunshin...since all I saw was a Yellow Flash!" Killer Bee said as Naruto finally yanked his fist out, letting the stricken Kisame fall to the floor.

_How...did he do that...I couldn't...even react..._ Kisame thought, blood flowing from his mouth. _I have to get out of here, the odds are far too stacked against me...!_

Quickly, before Naruto could process his new speed or Bee, Yamato, or Hinata could react, the Tail-less Biju scurried out of the room, using Samehada's spines like insect legs, fleeing into the temple and heading for the falls. All the while, a trail of Kisame's blood was leaked leaving a solid trail. The young Hokage found himself stuck in the wall, and just punched the ground to dislodge his leg before leaping back to the floor.

"We have to get him before he gets off the island!" Yamato said as he, Hinata, and Bee ran over to Naruto who nodded.

"I can still sense his malice, I'll keep track on him with that!" Naruto said as they began running in formation out of the sealing chamber.

Hinata's eyes were back to their normal Byakugan. "I can still see him, he's heading for the exit!" she extended her range. "Tenko-kun, Gai-sensei, Motoi-san and Aoba-san are outside of the falls, it looks like Gai-sensei's heading to the island in the waterfall's pool!"

"Great, Shark man's the bait!" Bee said, moving his arms to a beat. "They can keep him contained so I can bring out Number Eight!"

Naruto picked up speed, running as fast as he would be in Sage Mode. _...we have to stop him from getting off the island, he's gotten too much info!_

Outside of the temple, Gai, Motoi, and Tenko were talking amongst themselves as Aoba looked up at the sky. Tenko was a little eager to show Naruto of his progress with the Rasengan, he had nearly finished the final step of the technique. He gave a grin, lifting up his hand and the chakra began swirling in it.

_Naruto, you're going to be real surprised I got it down so fast!_

"YOSH! So Naruto-kun is training to master the Kyubi beyond this point?" Gai yelled in his bombastic fashion.

"Yes...to get past the falls, you have to defeat your true self though," Motoi said as Gai grinned, doing his good guy pose.

"Yosh! Then I'll face my true self then! My youth will explode on it!" Gai announced, looking at the falls. _I wonder what my true self will be like! As youthful and energetic as me?_

A shadow began appearing behind the falls and Gai braced himself, wondering what it'd look like. To Motoi's surprise, he also began seeing it as did Tenko and Aoba. Konoha's taijutsu master squeezed his hand into a tight fist as a nervous bead of sweat began trickling from his cheek.

"Really...you really shouldn't be talking about youth this and youth that..." the shadow started ominously. "An old man like yourself might harm yourself if you're not careful..." it began forming a more Gai-like shape as he gulped. "I know you want to be youthful in front of Lee, but no one wants to force you to be youthful forever, right?"

"Show yourself! If you're going to talk like that!" Gai ordered, his eyes showing a renewed fire as he pumped his fist up.

"Alright...know your true self..." the figure started before Kisame, still merged with Samehada burst out of the waterfall, completely breaking the ritual as he tried to make his escape.

_T-This is my true self?_ Gai thought, his eyes widening as he thought it was a manifestation of the falls creating his true self. _Some weird blow fish? Or some kind of strange animal?_

Kisame's eyes widened as he spat out the remaining blood from his mouth, his body healing by forcefully drawing upon Samehada's chakra. Gai immediately got into a fighting stance as Motoi, Tenko, and Aoba's jaws dropped.

"Have you forgotten your youth? I will beat it right back into you to make you remember!"

"Gai-san, that's not your true self!" Motoi yelled as Tenko took a fighting stance, easing into the one that Jiraiya usually would take. "Be careful!"

Kisame began falling to the ground. _Just have to reach the water, then I'll be able to make my escape..._

Before he could even reach the water however, Gai jumped up, throwing both of his legs out and he shoved his elbow out hard. "Konoha Kaiganshō (Leaf Destroying Rock Rise)!"

Slamming his elbow hard right into Kisame's chest, the swordsman Akatsuki groaned right in pain as he was sent flying right into the cliff face near the waterfall. The rock splintered and shattered before breaking completely as he fell to the ground hard. Lifting his head up weakly, he bore his sharpened teeth in frustration.

_On every...single turn now. Now this idiot!_

Bee and Naruto burst out of the falls at the same time, Naruto's Kyubi chakra still flickering around him, and then Hinata and Yamato too. Kisame glanced over...and he cursed again mentally.

"What are you saying that that isn't my true self?" Gai asked slowly as Kisame tried moving. "This...is...?"

Kisame smirked a little. _So he's finally remembered?_

"Some type of weird blow fish?"

Everyone paused for several seconds as Yamato's jaw dropped. "Its the Akatsuki Kisame Hoshigaki! He infiltrated us Gai!"

Blood dripped from Kisame's mouth however. "As usual, the beast doesn't get any smarter..."

"We can't let him escape Gai-sensei," Naruto said as he cracked his knuckles.

Samehada then pulled off of Kisame, heading for Bee and it began wailing. "Ah I see, so he forced you to do all those things! You didn't want to!" Bee said as he put his hands on the sentient sword's scales. "Its alright, I forgive you!"

_Akatsuki? _Tenko thought, his eyes narrowing and he instantly performed the seals. "Doton: Yomi Numa (Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld)!"

Kisame was one step ahead, slipping into the water right before the Yomi Numa could form beneath his prone form. The gills on his shoulders and cheeks began turning the water into oxygen and he swam right to Samehada's swinging hilt as it cuddled against Killer Bee. Licking his lip, he flexed his hand and grabbed Samehada roughly, sending a command into his wayward blade. It then bit right into Killer Bee's bicep, gnawing away at it as it began to drain the chakra from him.

_Excellent, that should do!_ Kisame thought as he flexed his hand, now at full power again. Surfacing for a second, Tenko again tried again.

"Katon: Endan (Fire Release: Flame Bullet)!" Tenko yelled as Killer Bee jumped out of the way, Samehada letting go of his bicep.

"Suiton: Suikōdan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Shark Bullet)!" Kisame exclaimed with a viscous smirk, slamming his palm to the water's surface, the water shaping into a great white shark and lunging at the incoming fireball, the clash of the two attacks threw up a stream of steam, before the water shark burst through it right at Tenko.

He jumped out of the way and Kisame gave a smirk, whipping his arms around as the steam cleared out of their vision. Aoba capitalized on that as did Hinata, the Tokebetsu Jonin tossing several kunai with wires attached to them while the Hyuga Heiress used a Hakke Kusho, launching an air shell right at him. Kisame blocked Aoba's kunai with his forearm and caught the air sphere with his hand, and his body glowed blue for a moment...the air sphere vanishing.

"Hijutsu Ishibari (Secret Technique: Stone Needle)!" Aoba yelled, sending a paralyzing pulse of his chakra through the wires and the Akatsuki Swordsman smirked.

_A ninjutsu that stops your movements through injecting chakra...an even greater meal than that air shell that Hyuga girl sent at me!_ Kisame thought, his body glowing blue again as he reversed the pull of Aoba's chakra, draining him through the wires.

Aoba's eyes widened and he dropped to his knees. _He's draining me entirely...!_

Naruto leaped in as Kisame completed another seal sequence and waved the water right in front of him. "Sorry Naruto-san, going to have to imprison you for a while. Suiton: Suirō no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Prison Technique)."

"Damn it not this!" Naruto yelled as the water prison formed around him and Kisame split off from the circular prison after forming a Mizu Bushin.

"YOSH! I'll take you down!" Gai yelled, launching a spin kick. "Konoha Senpu (Leaf Whirlwind)!"

Contemptuously, Kisame blocked him with his forearm and did another seal sequence, creating another Suikōdan no Jutsu which launched Gai into the air and he then used it to swim away, diving under the water and moving at full speed towards the coast. Tenko began tossing kunai at him but Kisame was too fast, dodging each as he dived and disappeared from view.

"Damn it!" Tenko yelled angrily as Naruto ceased using Chakra Mode and began floating inside the water prison, calming himself down.

_Calm down...just use Sage Mode to get out of this..._ Naruto thought as he floated motionlessly in the water prison.

Motoi gritted his teeth. "We have to move quickly, if he gets off the island I won't be able to track him!"

"YOSH! I'll handle that!" Gai yelled as a green glow engulfed him, his skin turning red. "Keimon...OPEN!"

Hinata's eyes located Kisame, and she pointed. "He's in that direction, Gai-sensei! He's almost at the coast!"

"Yo...beast..." Bee said as he held out his arm...and it began growing and the fingers fused together, and his elbow jutted out until it formed a small version of one of Hachibi's arms. "I can do this, at least!"

Gai nodded, jumping onto Bee's hand as the Jinchuriki took a deep breath...and then tossed Konoha's Blue Beast with all his might through the air...and then he collapsed. Naruto floated in the water prison, having a hard time staying still enough to collect the Natural Energy safely. What's worse, he was starting to run out of air.

_Damn it! I can't hold my..._ Naruto thought as he went into his mind again to get Kyubi's chakra from the orb again. _I'll have to use this to break out!_

Hinata was two steps ahead of him thought, charging Kisame's Mizu Bushin. The clone smirked, lifting his arm away from the water prison and going to knock her away. She thought of the lessons of how to do the Rasengan, how to rotate and strengthen the chakra...and chakra began swirling around her hand and wrist as she began shaping it. Right at her finger tips the rotation and power were at their sharpest, and her eyes widened.

_Its like...a spinning spear...that's it...!_ Hinata thought as she ducked the Mizu Bushin's slash. "Rasenyari (Spinning Spear)!"

And with that, she slammed her Rasenyari right into the Mizu Bushin's chest, and the spinning chakra around her arm drilled outwards and obliterated the clone in surprise. Tenko and Naruto's jaws dropped, and Motoi's eyes widened seeing the attack.

_That was like...Sandaime's legendary Nukite!_ Motoi thought, looking at Hinata who had the same look of surprise on her face. He got the image of the Sandaime Raikage, Akui, charging into battle against the Hachibi, slicing off its tails. _And she...doesn't even know..._

"That was...badass Hinata-chan!" Tenko said, Naruto gasping for air as he accessed his Chakra Mode again.

"Damn...were you saving that...that's twice today that you surprised me!" Naruto exclaimed cheerfully, wiping the water off his face as steam rose from his chakra cloak and the water around him.

Hinata flushed. "I just...thought of it after remembering your Rasengan lessons Naruto-kun..." she then gasped. "The Akatsuki Member is nearly at the coast, Gai-sensei hasn't caught up to him yet!"

"Then we don't have any time to waste!" Naruto said, the chakra flickering around his body.

Gai was nearly half way to the coast when he began descending and he quickly bit his thumb and did a few hand seals. Slamming his palm down in the air, lines formed into three circles under his hand and then a puff of smoke appeared under him. When the smoke cleared...he was standing on his giant tortoise: Ningame.

"What the? Gai, what am I..."

"Sorry Ningame, I needed another boost!" Gai yelled as he leaped off of Ningaime's shell, giving him the boost of height and speed he needed as his tortoise plummeted.

Ningame withdrew into his shell and hit the top of a...big...head in a rock outcropping. It was a giant turtle's head! It lifted up its head, munching on a bunch of seaweed and other vegetation as it continued swimming along at a very slow speed.

Gai began appearing, seeing the Kisame starting to stow the scroll away into the shark's jaws. He landed right in front of Kisame, who smirked back. The Akatsuki smirked, having already formed his plan.

"You live up to your namesake, beast. You're persistent."

"That scroll you have has the intel, isn't it? I won't let you get away!"

"Can you stop me here? I have the advantage," Kisame said with a smirk, flying through the seals and he slammed his palm down. "Suiton: Senjikizame (Water Release: Thousand Feeding Sharks)!"

Immediately, Gai got into his normal fighting stance as a _massive_ wave of sharks began forming in front of him. They rose nearly thirty meters high, Kisame's riding on the wave, intent on ripping Konoha's Blue Beast apart. The gleam of the sharks' teeth was nearly blinding as the Akatsuki Swordsman gave a viscous grin.

_I can't tell which shark is which!_ Gai thought to himself, and he narrowed his eyes. _I'll just have to wipe them all out!_ He leaped up and his fists were engulfed in flames as he breathed in. "Asaku Kujaku (Morning Peacock)!"

Gai began punching the air so fast, fireballs began being thrown right at the wall of sharks. It was a numbers game then. For every shark that the blue beast destroyed however, two more seemed to take their place. But the wave began getting smaller and smaller...and several sharks were trying to make a break for it.

_Where's the scroll?_ Gai thought as he fell back into the water, his fists still ablaze and he could see the sharks darting below the waves. _There are just too many! I'll have to widen my scope!_

"He's not going after the sharks...fine then, I'll just have to rip him to shreds!"

Gai crossed his arms as he began sinking below the water...and veins pulsed visibly on his forehead. "Dai nana Kyoman...kai (Gate of Wonder, open)!" When he did that, the water bursts away from him and began boiling. It was like he was practically floating now, and Kisame grinned, getting into attack range.

"A taijutsu that uses extremely fast punches to create a flame from friction, and destroys the enemy with a flaming blast!" Kisame praised as he created a new seal. "You really are a skilled beast, ninjas with taijutsu at this level are rare!"

"Maybe I am a rare beast, a rare blue beast of prey! And that taijutsu was nothing compared to what's coming next!" Gai announced, pulling his fist down in front of his chest. "Its not something you see often..."

_His green chakra is increasing...its repelling and evaporating the water..._ Kisame thought, staring Gai down.

At the same moment, they executed their attacks. Kisame intertwined his fingers and pushed his hands forward, while Gai slammed fist into his palm. The water coalesced into a _giant_ water shark around the Akatsuki swordsman, dwarfing the others he summoned or created before while around Gai, his aura turned into a massive white tiger. The two attacks seemed to roar at each other before being launched.

"Suiton: Daikōdan no Jutsu (Water Release: Great Shark Bullet Technique)!" Kisame yelled, thrusting his hands out with his fingers curled pointing up and down.

"Hirudora (Daytime Tiger)!" Gai retorted, pushing his hands forward in a strange seal which had him cross his middle fingers, point both thumbs up and point his pinkies forward. His middle fingers were engulfed in chakra as the Hirudora surged forward.

Both attacks, white tiger and great shark charged at each other, sending waves cresting away from them. Kisame smirked, pushing forward with even more force to make the Daikōdan cross the distance faster.

_Daikōdan is no ordinary jutsu..its designed to absorb the chakra from enemy ninjutsu to grow larger and more powerful. The stronger my opponent's jutsu, the stronger Daikōdan becomes..._

Hirudora and Daikōdan finally clashed, the tiger shaped attack smashing into the giant shark's head before the jaws of Daikōdan expanded and with one bite, engulfed Hirudora. It began shrinking, just like Kisame expected as it began going into the shark's stomach towards him...but something was wrong...it looked like it was increasing in speed! What's more, there was no increase in size of the Daikōdan.

_Something's wrong...that 'Hirudora' was swallowed but my jutsu isn't even stronger..._ Kisame thought as the now fist-size projectile howled towards him at increasing speeds, multiple shock waves being felt as it broke the sound barrier several times under water. _It should have absorbed its chakra...its not a chakra missile?_

"Roar, youth!" Gai commanded his attack and there was a bright flash as Kisame's eyes widened.

The tiger shaped fist detonated, sending a massive dome bursting out with the same tiger stripes that had been on the jutsu. The remaining sharks were destroyed, either being summoned back to their point of origin or being reduced back to their original water state again. Not only that, a wave was sent crashing into the island turtle and the shock wave was felt by everyone inland. Trees were uprooted and blown apart while the waves crashed into the side of the massive sea turtle.

"What the hell is that?" Tenko yelled.

"That's Gai's Hirudora!" Yamato replied, shielding his face.

"Huh...Hirudora? That's not the sort of name of an attack I'd expect from Gai-sensei..." Naruto commented, his chakra cloak still whipping around him.

"There's no time to worry about that!" Yamato yelled as he did a seal, intertwining his fingers and a massive wood dome rose. "Get in here, Hirudora's energy will spread throughout the island and the surrounding area!"

They got behind Yamato's wooden dome not a second too late. The massive air burst from the Hirudora ripped inland and flattened the surrounding forest around them. Nearly a third of the forest on the Island Turtle had been destroyed by the shock wave, and finally the outer rocky ridges of the turtle's shell were chipped and battered by the tidal wave that hit moments later. Few of the rocks fell off and were washed away. Shortly the Hirudora dispersed, and Gai was standing over a defeated Kisame, the scroll he had in hand.

"Don't. Move," Gai commanded, the green aura still wafting off his body.

"...that jutsu...it wasn't a chakra missile was it?" Kisame asked weakly, his light blue body was covered in burns from the impact of the Hirudora.

"Hirudora isn't a ninjutsu, its a taijutsu!" Gai replied proudly, standing over his defeated enemy. "It's just a punch, a very _fast_ punch. It concentrates the air pressure in the direction of my opponent, and it diffuses upon compressing! And this aura surrounding me isn't chakra either, anyone who opens the seventh gate, Kyoman, sweats green sweat! It is the hot air evaporating off my body!"

"No wonder what I thought was a chakra missile getting smaller...this is the third time I faced you...but I had no idea you harbored such a secret until now," Kisame gave a smirk. "Well...you probably won't remember me...but you should have done one thing first." Gai's eyebrow raised and the Akatsuki swordsman smirked. "You should have checked if _I_ was a clone instead of my sharks!"

Gai's eyes widened as Kisame exploded into a puff of smoke, and he began looking around rapidly. _I fought...a clone the entire time?_

**Out at sea, on the route to the Land of Water**

Kisame surfaced, smirking as he looked back...he was now far enough away from the Island Turtle, swimming a well known route to him towards his next target. With his Kage Bushin providing the ample distraction against Gai, he could get away to his objective nearly unnoticed. And now he was receiving the intelligence received on Gai's jutsu after it was dispersed.

"Excellent..." Kisame said with a smirk, swimming at a far faster rate. "The next time I fight that stupid beast, I'll be the winner!"

The gills on his shoulders began working overtime, and he took a dive and began swimming like a torpedo. At the rate he was going, he'd reach his target in a few hours...since Hanzo the Salamander's death, he was the fastest shinobi in water. Lazily putting his hands to his sides, he let his feet kick up a small bubble swarm as he swam at full speed.

**Kirigakure**

Mei Terumi was walking with those she put in charge of the village's 'home guard'. The Mizukage wanted to be sure the village would be safely protected before heading back to Kumogakure with the majority of their forces. The home guard would consist of nearly 5000 ninja to guard and continue to take missions to bring in revenue so the economy could continue. The village elder was put in charge, he leaned on his staff.

"The village'll be fine, Mizukage-sama," the elder said with a grin. "You don't have to worry about it, you should just focus on beating Madara and Akatsuki in this War."

"I know..." Mei said as they walked through the mists, passing the civilians along the street. "Kirigakure has suffered much though, I can't help but worry..."

"Aye...Yagura's Bloody Mist and the Kekkei Genkai purges are a blight on our people," the elder said as they kept walking. "But we should start focusing on the future! With all Five great nations united, think of all the great things we can accomplish."

She grinned. "Right oji-sama..." she cleared her hair out of her face, Ao and Chojuro were walking with her as her guard. There were statues of the past Mizukages along the main pier of the village, from Shodaime...who looked like a humanoid shark with a huge blade on his back, to the Nidaime who looked like a laid back guy standing on a giant clam, the mysterious and powerful Sandaime who had a huge jug on his back for his acids, to Yondaime...Yagura of the Bloody Mist, complete with Sanbi's tails spurting from his back. Her own statue followed after Yagura's, and she smiled proudly at it.

Ao stretched. "Our detection barrier should be updated before we go, Mizukage-sama. We don't want the village to be caught flat footed by nuke-ninja..."

"Good idea," Mei said as they kept walking. "We'll swing by it before leaving the village."

At that moment, Kisame had poked his head out of water next to the main pier, overhearing the conversation up above. He gave a shark-like grin, looking up at the sky to see the time of day and he licked his lips. Since the sun was setting, the mist would begin to build up to its maximum amount.

_Excellent...its about this time that the mist becomes thicker..._ he did a seal. "Kirigakure no Jutsu (Hidden Mist Technique)."

Mist began rising around him as the wind started picking up and he sent it forward through the village, no one even detecting the change. Swimming to shore, he used a jutsu to have the water evaporate off of himself and added to the Kirigakure no Jutsu, so there'd be no trace of him coming out of the water. When he was fully out, he began running at full speed, avoiding the sentries and other ninja and jumping onto the buildings.

He headed straight to the Mizukage Tower, heading in through an open window. His eyes darted back and forth as he began walking straight to his target. He then froze, moving up against the wall as a jonin walked into carry some more paperwork in for the elder. Acting quickly, Kisame shunshined behind him, grabbed his neck and with one swift movement broke it, and he dragged him to a supply closet.

_Too easy, though it'll be a lot easier when I get my objective..._ Kisame thought as he climbed up against the wall, seeing another Jonin come walking in.

Leaping down swiftly, he grabbed him by the neck and kneed him in the back, right in the spine. The Kirigakure Jonin gasped, his back then his neck breaking and he died nearly instantly from his injuries. Stowing the second dead body way, he made his way to the archives. Seeing another two guards at the opening of them, he reached down quickly, grabbed their heads and smashed them with such force he cracked their skulls, killing them near instantly.

He broke into the archives, knowing he'd set off the alarm. But Kisame knew it wouldn't matter, and he charged right on through and powered through any of the barriers that were put up inside. And then there it was...Sameha...or 'Shark's Tooth', the Shodaime Mizukage's own sword displayed prominently in the archives. It was scaled like Samehada, but there were a line of sharp teeth around the sides. The scales seem to shiver as Kisame approached, sharp teeth poking from its hilt to prevent itself from being grabbed.

"The strongest blade ever forged in Kirigakure..." Kisame said with a smirk, heading over as he grasped its hilt. The sword hissed and he began feeding his chakra to it. "Yes, that's it, you like having a lot of chakra don't you...just like your little brother."

Sameha hissed and rattled in joy, withdrawing the teeth to let Kisame get a better grip. The scales shivered and the Akatsuki Swordsman lifted it up, grinning widely. Both Samehada and Sameha had been forged of the same material-the carapace of Sanbi, which is why they could absorb chakra. They were drawn to it. But unlike Samehada, which had trouble with ninjutsu, Sameha had been refined further...it lacked that weakness.

Kisame swiped the air with his new Sameha, breaking down the remaining barriers. He gave a fierce grin, and he sensed something. Jumping out of the way of a large glob of lava, he saw Mei Terumi there with Ao and Chojuro.

"K-Kisame Hoshigaki?" Chojuro gasped in shock, holding the Hirameki out. "But...Killer Bee-sama said he was dead!"

"Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated...ah the Hirameki, you must be the new meat of the Seven Swordsman," Kisame replied politely, flicking his wrist. "You must be quite the swordsman yourself for at a young age."

Ao's eyes narrowed. "You have some nerve returning to Kirigakure, Kisame," he flicked his wrists and two scythes dropped into his hands. "Since you aren't leaving it."

"True, I'd have loved to spend more time in my old village," Kisame said with a grin. "Chat with the new Mizukage here, see how different she is from Yagura-sama..."

"You'll find out, you aren't leaving alive," Mei said, doing several seals in a flash.** "**Yōton: Yōkai no Jutsu (Lava Release: Melting Apparition Technique)!"

Taking a deep breath, the Mizukage then spat out a large wave of molten rock right at Kisame. The Akatsuki swordsman smirked and he whipped Sameha out, slashing right through the lava...which was absorbed right into the blade. Ao charged at him, his Byakugan now active and he began engaging in close combat with him, tossing one of his scythes at Kisame to force him to block.

Kisame dodged, the teeth now spinning around Sameha and he slashed at the Hunter Ninja leader, who was forced to break off. Chojuro leaped in, his Hirameki shifting to a giant hammer and he swung hard, smashing the hammer into the Sameha, which absorbed the chakra but the force sent Kisame skidding back. Mei then followed up with a kick, slamming it right into the Akatsuki Swordsman's face and making him roll back and jump back up to his feet.

"Heh, I really needed a warmup with my new weapon," Kisame said as he gripped Sameha tightly, blood leaking from his cheek where Mei had kicked.

Mei then jumped, doing several seals and when she landed she slammed both hands to the ground. "Doton: Doryūheki (Earth Release: Earth Style Wall)!" A wall of earth rose behind her, sealing her and Kisame in and she smirked. "I believe I'll eliminate Yagura's primary enforcer here and now..."

"Oh, is that what I'm called here now? I'm flattered," Kisame said with a smirk.

"Just one of many, Hoshigaki-dono," Mei said respectfully. "But I'm afraid you won't get to hear them..." She did the horse seal. "Futton: Kōmu no Jutsu (Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique)!"

Finishing up her seals, she then blew out a thick mist from her mouth. Kisame blinked in surprise, his vision being clouded. _So the rumors are true...she does possess two Kekkei Genkai...this is bad..._

Kisame then winced, his skin starting to sizzle and melt. "I will melt you down and return Shodaime's blade to its proper place," Mei said with a grin. "Shame we can't have more talks..."

"Hm...interesting jutsu...so that's why you sealed us off," Kisame said calmly, flicking Sameha which ate some of the mist, but not all which was rapidly replaced. "So your two bodyguards wouldn't be caught in it."

"Of course, I can't have my precious supporters being killed," Mei said with a grin. "And unlike you, the acid doesn't bother me."

Wincing as he continued to be burned, Kisame turned to the wall and charged. "Then I'll just break out of here!"

Swinging Sameha with all his might, he smashed into the wall that led out of the building. Grinning like a madman, the teeth of his new sword began spinning at high speed and he cut _right_ through the wall to let the mist escape, before punching it to blow it apart. He leaped out, steam lifting from his body from where the acid burned leaving a shocked Mei behind. She then gritted her teeth, dispelling her acidic mist and her wall and she then took chase, Ao and Chojuro following.

"Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet)!" Mei yelled, shooting a blast of water from her mouth and it formed into a giant dragon with glowing eyes and she jumped right into it, using it as a fast means of transport to catch Kisame.

Kisame glanced back, running at full speed as Sameha gave him some of its chakra to repair his wounds. "Sution: Suikōdan no Jutsu!" He yelled, turning back and he spat out a giant water shark from his mouth which clashed into Mei's water dragon. She was forced to leap out of it as both attacks collided and Mei landed on her feet.

_Need to limit the amount of damage to catch him..._ Mei thought as she did the seals and slammed her hands to the ground. "Yōton: Kasho K**iretsu** (Lava Release: Burning Fissure)!"

The ground split, and like a fissure volcanic eruption molten rock began rising up and bursting from the ground like geysers, traveling towards Kisame as he ran. Feeling the heat behind him, he dove out of the way as the rest of the village was scrambled to fight him. Ao lead several hunter ninja after him, launching several weapons and ninjutsu at him.

"Thanks for playing into my hands!" Kisame yelled, leaping up and avoiding the next fiery geyser and he slashed at the incoming projectiles and ninjutsu, Sameha gobbling them up and he did a seal. "Suiton: Mizu Funsha (Water Release: Water Jet)!"

His cheeks swelled slightly, and he shot out a stream of high pressure water at the ground and launched him right towards the harbor. He grinned widely, dodging the fireballs launched from Mei who tried to hit him. Kisame gave a respectful salute, turning and slashing Sameha right through the barrier that was erected to stop him, and he let gravity take its course as he dove under the water and started swimming away at full speed.

_The Mizukage truly lives up to her name, heh, in the War I'd love to settle this. But that Blue Beast will die saying my name on his lips!_ Kisame thought, diving deep and out of his pursuers sights.

Mei jumped onto the water with Ao and Chojuro. "Ao, where is he?"

"He's dove to the sea floor! He's out of the harbor and..." Ao gritted his teeth. "He's gotten out of my range...I don't know where he is now...!"

Mei's eye twitched and she yelled in anger, sending a tidal wave out as it responded to her movements. Chojuro gulped, looking at Hirameki.

"Send word to Kumogakure, we leave immediately! And also inform the Alliance that Kisame is alive and at large," Mei ordered as she jumped up onto the pier. "This insult will not stand!"

"Hai, Mizukage-sama!" Ao and Chojuro yelled before running to do her tasks.

**Island Turtle**

Gai had landed at the rest of the group, exiting Kyoman. The green steam from his body ceased and his face turned back to normal. He sighed, squeezing his hand into a tight fist before kneeling in front of Naruto.

"Forgive me, Hokage-sama, he fooled me with a Kage Bushin. He got away," Gai said, bowing his head low. "I will defeat Hoshigaki Kisame though, I assure you!"

Naruto blinked. "Um...not your fault, I fooled people with my clone feints Gai-sensei, so its not a detraction from you...you did good...and you don't need to call me that..."

"Alright Naruto...but I won't fail next time! That's a promise of a life time!" Gai said.

Hinata breathed in. "Will this place still be secure? Did we at least get the information back Gai-sensei?"

"No, the scroll was fake," Gai replied as he squeezed his hand into a tight fist. "I spent nearly a half hour fighting off the trap he set in it..."

Motoi nodded. "Then we need to prepare the area for battle, first off by evacuating the animals into the safety of the temple."

"I'll get right on that, it'll be a snap!" Bee said with a grin, Samehada snuggling up on his back.

One of the Cloud Ninja kept looking at Hinata, licking his lips. _Soon...very soon..._

With that, the group broke off to start the preparations for the island so they'd be ready for the incoming attack. The Cloud Ninja who was after Hinata smirked, knowing that he'll be able to accomplish his goal soon. Vanishing in a Raiton Shunshin, he grasped his blade, leaping through the trees...

_To Be Continued..._

**Author's Notes:**

Whew, this was a fun chapter to write. And I managed to do it quickly too, and my plans for the next chapter are already in the works. I was finally able to showcase Mei's abilities. In my opinion, her power is superior to Kisame's. Her duo Kekkei Genkai are pretty broken, after all, as well as her mastery of the other elements that she can use.

How do you like Hinata's new attack? The jutsu Mei displayed? The jutsu Tenko used? Please, tell me because I'd like your feedback. And with a special treat, the return of the Jutus List!

**Jutsu List**:

_Asaku Kujaku (Morning Peacock)_: A-Rank, taijutsu, kinjutsu, offensive: The user activates the Sixth Gate, Keimon, and launches themselves into the air. Then they launch a flurry of punches, at a speed which ignites the fist and send fireballs crashing into the target.

_Doton: Doryūheki (Earth Release: Earth Style Wall)_: B-Rank, ninjutsu, defensive: The user either spits out mud in front of them, or slams their hands to the ground, making a large wall in front or behind them. A skilled user can even use it to form a box to trap the target.

_Doton: Yomi Numa (Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld)_: B-Rank, ninjutsu, offensive: Molding the chakra underneath the target's feet, the user slams their hands down. When they do that, they change the composition of the earth, no matter what the substance, into a bottomless swamp. Not only that, the mud in the swamp is incredibly sticky and impossible to break out of. Even one of Nagato's bodies, despite their high amount of physical strength, was unable to break out.

_Fukyu Kaiten (Eternal Rotation)_: No-Rank, Taijutsu, Kekkei Genkai, offensive, defensive, supplementary: The first ability of the Keihatsu Byakugan. Wraps the user in a spinning Kaiten to deflect attacks. Unlike the normal Byakugan one, the user is free to attack while the Kaiten is still spinning, eliminating one of its weaknesses.

_Futton: Kōmu no Jutsu (Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique)_: No-Rank, ninjutsu, offensive, supplementary: The user lures the target into an enclosed space, which they fill with an acidic mist. Said mist has to be carefully laid so it won't burn though the surroundings, just hit the target. In moments, burns appear and eventually kill the target, either through them breathing in the mist or the spreading of the burns.

_Hijutsu Ishibari (Secret Technique: Stone Needle)_: C-Rank, ninjutsu, offensive: The user attaches wires to kunai, launching them at a target. Once embedded, they channel their own chakra to the target and paralyze them.

_Hirudora (Daytime Tiger)_: S-Rank, taijutsu, kinjutsu, offensive: The user activates Kyoman, the Seventh Gate. They then launch a single punch, which is shaped by the aura of the user into a giant white tiger which upon impact, detonates with explosive force.

_Jigokuzuki (Hell Stab)_: S-Rank, ninjutsu, offensive: Sandaime Raikage's strongest ninjutsu, more commonly referred to as 'Nukite', concentrates his lightning around his hand to form a sharp 'spear'. The user can withdraw fingers to increase the cutting and penetrative power of the attack, using it with one finger creates the Raikage's strongest spear, able to cut through and pierce anything. With it, he was able to sever all of the Hachibi's tails at once.

_Katon: Endan (Fire Release: Flame Bullet)_: C-Rank, ninjutsu, offensive: Combining their flame with oil, the user shoots out a large fireball from their mouth several times stronger than a fireball without the oil. Can reduce most targets to ashes.

_Kirigakure no Jutsu (Hidden Mist Technique)_: D-Rank, ninjutsu, supplementary: The user creates a blinding mist to allow for infiltration and assassination, used in conjunction with the 'Silent Killing' technique. All the Seven Swordsmen have mastered this technique, using it to great effect. It can even blind the Sharingan, however the Byakugan is unaffected.

_Konoha Kaiganshō (Leaf Destroying Rock Rise)_: D-Rank, taijutsu, offensive: The user simply launches themselves with a rising elbow, hitting them hard.

_Konoha Senpu (Leaf Whirlwind)_: D-Rank, taijutsu, offensive: The user uses their high speed, launching a powerful spin kick.

_Rasenyari (Spinning Spear)_: A-Rank, ninjutsu, offensive: The user applies the first two steps of the Rasengan, wrapping the spinning empowered chakra around their hand and arms. With it, they can drill through a target. Like Jigokuzuki, the user can increase the spin by withdrawing their fingers so they can penetrate stronger defenses. Like the Rasengan, it also inflicts internal damage on the target. Due to the high amount of chakra control needed, medical ninja or Hyuga are the best candidates to learn it.

_Suiton: Daikōdan no Jutsu (Water Release: Great Shark Bullet Technique)_: S-Rank, ninjutsu, offensive: The user shapes the water around them into a giant shark, sending them flying at the target. If the target launches any ninjutsu, they are absorbed into the Daikodan, which increases in size and power until it collides with the target.

_Suiton: Mizu Funsha (Water Release: Water Jet)_: C-Rank, ninjutsu, offensive, supplementary: The user shapes a jet of water in their mouth, and then launches it. If it hits the ground, it can propel the user at high speeds through the air. If aimed at the target, it can rip their body apart.

_Suiton: Senjikizame (Water Release: Thousand Feeding Sharks)_: A-Rank: Ninjutsu, offensive, supplementary: The user creates a massive wave out of a thousand Suikodan sharks, the sheer amount means no matter what the enemy tries, they'll be hit by the attack or it'd provide a distraction to let a few sharks escape.

_Suiton: Suikōdan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Shark Bullet)_: B-Rank, ninjutsu, offensive: The user creates a shark made of water to bombard the target, or it can be used as a quick means of escape.

_Suiton: Suirō no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Prison Technique)_: D-Rank, ninjutsu, supplementary: The user captures the target in a large 'bubble' of heavy water which restricts their movements. The water is so heavy, they can't move normally and they rapidly run out of air.

_Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet)_: B-Rank, ninjutsu, offensive: The user, either using the water from a source or creating it internally, shapes it into a giant dragon which can bombard the target. It can also be used as a fast means of transport, or it can swallow and then launch the target at high speeds.

_Yōton: Kasho K**iretsu** (Lava Release: Burning Fissure)_: No-Rank, Kekkei Genkai, ninjutsu, offensive: The user slams their hands to the ground, creating magma underneath which then launches in a line of flaming geysers to either cut off an escape or incinerate a target.

_Yōton: Yōkai no Jutsu (Lava Release: Melting Apparition Technique)_: No-Rank, Kekkei Genkai, ninjutsu, offensive: The user spits out a wave of lava from their mouths to incinerate the target, or trap them by melting an exit and sealing it.


	16. Moving the Pieces into Place Part I

Chapter 16: Moving the Pieces into Place Part I

**Mountain's Graveyard**

Madara was walking through the halls of his hideout, having checked on his favorite prisoner just a little while ago. He was heading to where he let Kabuto do his own preparations for the upcoming War. Madara had checked in on Sasuke, who was still adjusting to his new eyes which were still bandaged, and also to the brooding army under his feet. Almost all the White Zetsus were ready for combat.

_The beauty of the flower now is that it'll continue to produce White Zetsu until I have the number I need, even if I sever Gedo Mazo from it the production will continue_, Madara thought to himself, smirking behind his mask. _The next task is gaining the Rinnegan from Nagato's corpse, I can't wait for the conditions to be perfect again for it to return to this world..._

He had planned on transplanting his own awakened Rinnegan eyes into a worthy user, but whenever he tested it out they were rejected by the user's body, even _killing_ prospective users. Thus, they were in a special part of his lab until someone who could handle them would return. Not even his own body was up to the task anymore even after gaining Hashirama's cells, the injuries from his final battle were far too great. To get the conditions right for the Rinnegan to return to the world, Madara had engineered the Second Shinobi World War and paired people who were distantly related to both the Senju and Uchiha. Nagato...had been the result of that. He hadn't learned he was successful until years later when the first Akatsuki organization was formed by Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan.

Smirking to himself, it gave a perfect way of messing with Konan's head if she tried resisting. He then felt a slight rumble from the wing where Kabuto was staying, walking to investigate. When he arrived he found his partner...fighting the Itachi Edo Tensei. His eye narrowed witnessing that Itachi was using Susano'o, having its Yata Mirror in front of it...due to the thick smoke or mist, Madara couldn't tell what exactly was happening.

Suddenly a blast of black flame hit Itachi's shield, which held firm, changing its nature to counter. Then a stream of lightning shaped into a spear...then a powerful wind blast. And then a line of sharp bones. Itachi's full Susano'o began skidding back, and to Madara's amazement he began hearing...cracking sounds from it. A powerful blast of Water then smashed into Itachi's Yata Mirror, followed by...a pillar of wood which delivered the final blow. Yata Mirror shattered, and the Susano'o was sent crashing back with a huge whole in it. Then there was a flash of movement and Madara saw Kabuto's body obscured by his cloak, his hand glowing as he slashed Itachi in half before he could counter attack. He then made a seal, a coffin appearing around the stricken Konoha patriot and was swallowed back into the ground.

Kabuto chuckled to himself. "The most effective way of training..." _I have truly surpassed Orochimaru by now...though why did Itachi lack the Sword of Totsuka? Perhaps he couldn't form it in time..._ He then looked up to see Madara there and he grinned. "Can I help you with something, Madara?"

"What were you doing...?"

"Training," Kabuto said with a smirk, pushing up his glasses. "Have to be at my best for War, after all."

"...I see..." Madara said as he folded his hands behind his back. "How many of your Edo Tensei's have you prepared?"

"Hm..." Kabuto gave a grin. "Nearly fifty, there a problem with that?"

"...no, that should do," Madara replied as his partner smirked. _I need some leverage against you..._

Zetsu then began rising out of the ground. "Kisame has sent a scroll of information, Tobi. **He says he'll be arriving here in a few days.**"

"Excellent," Madara said, smirking behind his mask.

"**It appears that Naruto has gotten a hang on Kyubi's chakra, he can sense malice now...he spotted Kisame easily...**" Black Zetsu said as White Zetsu held the scroll. "Not only that, but the Hyuga girl with him, Hinako, was it? Hinaza? **Hinata you idiot, the Hyuga Clan Heiress**. Right, right, right, anyway something happened to her Byakugan! Her eyes turned into yin-yang symbols and then bam, Kisame was sent flying by a Kaiten that didn't require her to spin!"

Madara's eye brow raised. "...describe the eyes again."

"**Her eyes now resemble the Yin-Yang symbol, like what her clan wears on their cloaks,** **her pupil is the opposite in each eye, one white and one black,**" Black Zetsu replied and White Zetsu waved his hand. "It was really freaky!"

_...the Keihatsu Byakugan? Its been literally centuries since that eye awoken..._ Madara thought to himself. _Incredible...those eyes are worth collecting in the future..._

"Oh, very interesting!" Kabuto said, putting his hand to his chin.

"Yeah, that's what I was saying!" White Zetsu said cheerfully. "**I recommend acting now while the garrison on the island is in chaos, get the Hachibi and Kyubi and get out. **But the Rinnegan needs to be taken, right?"

"How about we divide the labor on that then, eh, Madara?" Kabuto asked with a smirk. "You head to Amegakure to secure the Rinnegan, I'll strike to try to obtain Naruto and the Hachibi."

"You'd do that for nothing?" Madara replied, looking at him.

"Well I'm _very_ interested in the Zetsus...they'd answer a whole lot of questions that I have..."

"...very well, accomplish this mission and I'll grant you _one_ White Zetsu to achieve your goal."

"Then I'll make my preparations," Kabuto said as he gave a mocking bow, walking out of the room as his snake hissed at Madara as he left.

"Keep watch on him, Zetsu," Madara ordered, his eyes narrowing. "We need to be prepared if he tries to betray us."

"**Right Tobi...**on it boss!"

With that, Zetsu sunk back into the ground as Madara walked out. Shortly, he was outside his hideout and saw that Kabuto had summoned Deidara using Kuchiyoise: Edo Tensei. There was already a large bird made of C1 getting ready to take off. He glanced back, giving a wide, confident smirk.

"I'll be back before you know it..." Kabuto said as the C1 bird flapped its wings and then took off.

Madara himself watched his ally and former partner depart, before slowly disappearing right inside his own visible eye. He mused that Sasuke would be safe with his two subordinates guarding him, he had more important things to focus on.

**Kumogakure**

The other Five Kage were now having a urgent meeting to address what had just transpired on both the Island Turtle and in Kirigakure. Motoi had summoned an Owl to send a full report to the Kages gathered at in Kumo, and Mei looked like she was steaming while sitting in her chair. Ao had to take a step back to avoid the little...Futton aura that was around her and melting the surroundings.

"Mizukage-dono, I understand your feelings but you need to calm down," Mifune said calmly as Mei breathed out slowly.

"Shodaime's blade lost while I was in the village, and Kisame got away again," Mei said tartly, folding her hands. "This _is_ me calm."

Tsunade sighed. "Still Mizukage, getting angry won't help things right now."

"What we need to do is send reinforcements to the Island," A said as he folded his hands. He had taken his vambraces off. "To reach the village in time, we'll need someone with flight."

"I'll go then," Onoki said with a smirk. "I can transfer my flight ability to my Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi and get there quickly."

"It'll be better if I go, Tsuchikage-dono. With my sand I can fly just as fast as you can, and your back wouldn't be at risk in being thrown out."

"Bah, I can handle it just find!" Onoki said as he pushed himself up. "Don't you underestimate me, young whippersnapper!"

"I'll join you," Mei said as she cracked her knuckles, her Futton aura ceasing. "If the Island Turtle is attacked, I'll be able to vent my anger...and there is no one more dangerous around a large body of water than _me_."

"Well then, lets start heading out!" Onoki said as he...threw his back out with a large crack and his jaw dropped in pain. "AHHH!"

The other Kages sweatdropped as Onoki grasped his back, crying out in pain. Through the window came a butterfly made of paper...which unfolded itself quickly with a message for the Raikage. A snatched it up as Tsunade used her medical ninjutsu to ease the pain in the Tsuchikage's back.

"...Hokage, its from Amegakure," A started as he slid it over. "Requesting assistance."

"For what?" She asked, lifting it up and reading it. "...the new village leader, Konan is worried that Madara will try to retrieve the Rinnegan from Nagato's corpse..."

"...can you trust that, Hokage-dono?" Gaara asked, looking at her. "It may be an Akatsuki trap."

"Naruto reported after the Invasion that Konan had left Akatsuki," Tsunade replied as she stood up. "I have no reason not to believe it isn't on the level."

Gaara nodded. "Very well, I'll accompany you Hokage-dono. It'll be faster traveling on my sand than on foot."

"Thank you Gaara-dono," Tsunade said with a grin. "Lets hope she's worried for nothing, however."

A nodded. "I'll hold down the fort here with Mifune-dono, by the time you're back all the preparations will be finished."

The four other Kages nodded, walking out of the room. A glanced out of the window, feeling like a storm was coming. He breathed out calmly from his nose, squeezing his hands into tight fists slowly. Walking to the window, he saw the building Alliance forces below. Many of the ninja were getting training to prepare themselves or helping carry weapons and supplies.

**Island Turtle**

Since there would likely be a battle taking place on the turtle's back soon, Naruto had ordered that all the animals on the island needed to be evacuated into the Temple. As such, Hinata and Yamato were navigating through the jungles to get animals who still hadn't lined up to enter the Temple. Yamato landed on a tree, putting his hand to a branch.

"There seems to be a few large rhinos near by, I'll round them up," Yamato said as he stood up.

"Right, I'll handle the gorilla colony on the other end of the island," Hinata said with a nod and the two split off in different directions.

Unknown to them though, Hinata was being tailed by the Kumo shinobi who had a grudge against her and her father. He was using a Meisaigakure no Jutsu (Hiding with Camouflage Technique) similar to that of the one Mu, the Nidaime Tsuchikage used. Thus, he couldn't be detected by Dojutsu unless it was directly looking at him.

Hinata jumped through the trees, heading towards the gorilla colony. In the days since Kisame's fleeing from the island, she had stepped up her training to complete the Rasengan as well as perfect the Rasenyari. She was so close to making the Rasengan perfect she planned on showing Naruto when she got back. She then looked up, and looked around

_Killing intent, but where?!_

She then leaped out of the way of a dozen crescent shaped shuriken, which curved and followed her. She blinked, jumping up onto another branch before ducking onto another, the shuriken picking up speed. Hinata winced hearing a several pops coming from the shuriken, and she dove out of the way as they streaked into a tree and threw it, blowing it apart before crashing into the ground and causing several small craters.

"Whose there, show yourself!" Hinata demanded, activating her Byakugan.

"Impressive you were able to avoid them, those eyes of yours are what my father really desired," a voice said from everywhere as the shuriken yanked out of the craters. "Those blades were moving at several times the speed of sound, yet you avoided them..."

"Who are you?" Hinata yelled, dodging the next flurry of shuriken as they curved around to attack her again. She heard the same pops from them and her eyes narrowed, a bluish aura covering her body as they approached. "Kaiten!"

Spinning defiantly, she deflected the hypersonic shuriken with ease, sending them crashing away all around. When she stopped spinning a hand materialized out of nowhere and smashed her in the back of the head, sending her crashing down to the forest floor. Leaping to her feet quickly she saw her attacker...one of the Jinchuriki's guards that had accompanied them to the island.

"Why are you doing this?!"

"For your eyes," the Kumo shinobi had short brown hair and a thin brown mustache, and he wore his headband on his shoulder. He was wearing an old-style Kumogakure flak jacket, which was dark blue in color and had as many pockets, as well as extra armor underneath the cloth. "With it, my clan's experiments will be complete..."

"My...eyes?" Hinata asked as the Kumo Shinobi bowed.

"Its rather fitting, my father failed to get you as a toddler...I will accomplish what he died attempting," he said darkly, flicking his wrist as the shuriken lifted from the ground. "My name is Hideki...not that it matters."

"All the villages are allied now, you don't have to do this!" Hinata yelled as Hideki pulled his sword off his back.

"Yes, I do!" Hideki yelled as he shunshined over at great speed, his sword glowing as Raiton chakra flowed into it. "My family name will be redeemed and I'll become the next Head Ninja!"

_He...can't be reasoned with..._ Hinata thought as she dodged his strike, bringing out a kunai to try to block.

Hideki pressed his attack, spinning and yelling. "Kumo-Ryū Mikazukigiri (Cloud-Style Crescent Moon Beheading)!"

Hinata backpedaled, narrowly avoiding her head being sliced off by the crescent shaped slice. Moving quickly she did her own spin, stepping and hitting Hideki's palm and knocking his sword out of his hand. Her body was covered in blue again and she spun, yelling Kaiten as Hideki jumped back to avoid the spinning dome that she created.

Opening his hand, his sword shot back and he pulled his other hand into a up, creating a fist and the crescent shaped shuriken began spinning around each other, creating a whirlwind. "Jiton: Kane Senpu (Magnet Release: Metal Whirlwind)!"

Her eyes widened. "Jiton, but how?! That bloodline is exclusive in Sunagakure!"

"One of my father's first successes, securing the Jiton bloodline which I've perfected," Hideki said with a dark smirk. "Toroi, a recipient of the Jiton bloodline couldn't hope to get to this level..."

He directed his metal whirlwind at her and then broke it into an explosive release. Hinata jumped, twisting and contorting her body but her cheek got slashed and her coat and mesh underlay got cut. Landing on one foot she righted herself and shoved her palm out.

"Hakke Kusho!"

Firing the air sphere Hideki was sent skidding back and he gritted his teeth. He then opened his palm. "Jiton: Soju-do (Metal Release: Body Manipulation)!" He made Hinata's own palm smash into her face, sending her flying back and he smirked, seeing her look of shock. "Your blood contains a tiny amount of iron, with my Jiton I can manipulate and control it enough to make you attack yourself."

He released his control and charged at her. Hinata panted, trying to calm herself down. _He's too overconfident...I need to exploit that..._

She met his charge, engaging in a clash of taijutsu against kenjutsu. But he kept manipulating her body to hit herself or to avoid a strike. Hinata received scratches as she barely dodged his blade despite the manipulation and she tried to get prepared for a Hakke Rokujuyon Sho. But the way he kept manipulating her body she couldn't even get into position for it!

Hinata ducked under his sword when he flicked his wrist and then pushed forward, sending her skidding into a tree. He smirked darkly, lifting his hands up to make her arms be suspended and he formed a seal, making them stay like that when he lowered his own. She was now effectively pinned, no matter how hard she struggled.

"This is it, Hyuga Hinata..." Hideki said with a smirk, walking over. "Your eyes are mine...you've given me a good workout...but this is the end."

Hinata's eyes widened. _Just...stay calm...think of how you can reverse this..._

He then spun, beginning another Kumo-Ryū Mikazukigiri. Calming herself...Hinata's eyes spun, switching to the Yin-Yang symbol again. The Kaiten burst around her body without her spinning and Hideki's eyes widened, his blade being deflected and shattered, while he was sent crashing into another tree. His jutsu was broken and she dropped to her feet, panting slowly.

"What...what the hell is this?! How did your..."

"You didn't see what happened when Naruto-kun was training to tame the Kyubi..." Hinata said slowly, breathing in. "When I was calm...these eyes awakened. Despite the situation I was in..."

_A...higher level of the Byakugan...when a serenity is reached...?!_ Hideki thought in disbelief as he wiped the blood from his lip _Impossible...but...they do say the Sharingan and Byakugan came from the same family...and the Sharingan has a higher level called the Mangekyō Sharingan...but the activation of this one is entirely different! The opposite!_

He stepped forward, making his shuriken bombard her Kaiten which deflected them all with ease despite the incredible speed they were going at. He then charged and Hinata lifted her hand, focusing her chakra.

_I'll show Naruto-kun when I get back..._ she thought as the chakra swirled in her palm...forming a solid sphere. Her Kaiten fell as Hideki went for another charge, taking out a kunai. She dodged, feeling the effects of his Soju-do starting to take effect again but she powered through it, her Keihatsu Byakugan flaring. "RASENGAN!"

She smashed her Rasengan hard into Hideki's stomach, and his eyes widened and he spat out blood...and was sent flying and spinning back by the force of her attack. Spinning hard he crashed into a large tree as the Rasengan on her stomach exploded, shattering the base of the tree and sending it crashing sideways. Hinata panted, dropping to one knee as her eyes turned back to normal.

"Hideki...its...time to move forward..." Hinata said, closing her eyes. "The Shinobi have all allied...the true threat is Akatsuki. Petty grudges against villages and clans won't do anymore, not with the threat we face..."

Hideki spat out blood as he pushed himself up. _She...held back so she wouldn't kill me...?_

"After the War, you're welcome to try again, but not now," Hinata said firmly, standing up at her full height. "I'll meet your challenge and win..."

"You should...have kill me..."

"No...like I said, challenge me again and again until your satisfied since I'm not running," Hinata said as she leaped into a tree. "But wait till after Akatsuki is defeated if you still desire."

With that, she left Hideki pondering why she left him alive. Why she didn't just kill him after the coup d'grace Rasengan she gave him. Groaning, he put his hand to his stomach and began limping off back to the barracks on the island.

**Land of Lightning South-Eastern Coast**

The Tsuchikage and Mizukage rendezvous at the same time with their bodyguards. Mei looked out at the sea, cracking her knuckles slowly as she breathed in. Akatsuchi was grinning excitedly and Chojuro blinked, looking over. Kurotsuchi sighed, shaking her head.

"Akatsuchi, stop acting like a little kid!"

"Heh, I can't help it! I just can't wait to fly!"

_Damn it Akatsuchi, you're getting me excited too!_ Kurotsuchi thought with a sour look, growling to herself.

"S-So how does this work?" Chojuro asked and Mei smiled.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that Chojuro, you're riding with me," she said and Onoki blinked.

"You've learned the Hisho Jutsu, Mizukage-dono?"

"No, but I have something that could save us a bit of chakra getting there," Mei replied, biting her thumb and scrawling it on her hand. "Kuchiyoise no Jutsu!"

She slammed her palm down and in a puff of smoke was a giant Manta Ray floating over the cliff, it seemed to hum as it flapped its wings. The ray was black colored on its back, while a light blue on its back and around its neck it wore a giant Kirigakure headband. Mei walked onto its tail and then onto its back, patting it gently.

"Alright Ao, Chojuro, get on! I expect our Iwa comrades will be taking this method of flight."

Onoki chuckled, patting Akatsuchi's back and then Kurotsuchi. "You're right about that, Mizukage-dono."

Akatsuchi grinned widely and he punched his fist into the air as he flew off. Kurotsuchi yelled at him, taking off after him as Onoki levitated and got point before the two groups flew off at full speed towards the Island Turtle.

A ways off, Kabuto was flying with Deidara. The mad medic took out a kunai, with a red piece of paper on it as his undead partner continued to survey the surroundings. Kabuto then pushed his hand into the artist's head, the paper making both the kunai and his fist phase into it. The cracks began dissolving off of Deidara's cheeks and his blue pupils became visible again.

"I'm not going to lie that I understand your art, Deidara-san, but I won't make this binding fuda so restrictive to wipe out who you are," Kabuto said with a smirk and Deidara grinned.

"Thanks! I owe you a lot, now I can continue with my art for all time!" Deidara exclaimed cheerfully, flexing his hand. _I am no longer restricted...I can make my ultimate art even better!_

Kabuto smirked, he had also prepared another Tensei for later in case he needed it...and when they reached the coast his own personal summon had been teleported into the sea via the Kuchiyoise jutsu. The snake that he used to create a 'tail' was guiding it through telepathy. They'd be reaching the location where Kisame had indicated the...moving island very soon.

On the Island Turtle itself, all the giant animals were being led into the safety of the temple. Tenko was trying to get a big bear to get into the temple while Bee was playing Janken with a giant lobster. Naruto was breathing in, looking up at the sky as Yamato dragged in an unruly giant rhino while the rest of the herd followed.

"Come on, get in there you stubborn..." Yamato said, growling as he yanked his hand with the wooden tentacles. The rhino huffed and puffed, snorting in resistance.

"Uh Yamato-taicho, I think I can handle that," Naruto said, walking over. Pausing for a second, he entered Sage Mode and with one hand, lifted the unruly rhino up. "Alright big guy, this is for your own safety!"

Hinata was soon arriving back, the gorillas following her and the leader of them, King. She was riding on the huge gorilla's shoulder, and had managed to get cleaned up after her fight with Hideki. Naruto grinned, looking up after getting the rhino herd into the temple. Hinata hopped off of King's shoulders and smiled at Naruto.

"All animals gathered I think, Naruto-kun," she said proudly.

"Excellent, we don't know when Akatsuki'll be here, at least we'll be prepared," Naruto said with a grin as he looked up at the sky. "Motoi, do you sense anything coming?"

Motoi shook his head. "No Hokage-sama, nothing yet..."

B walked over, moving his hands around to an imaginary beat. "While we wait, you got a play date! You got the Kyubi's power, but in a zero hour you'd be dead meat! So we'll train in your new Biju Chakra, and then you'll have them beat!"

"...right..." Naruto said and B grinned, slapping his back and leading him into the temple.

Tenko grinned. "I'll show you something awesome when you're done, Naruto!"

"I look forward to it!" Naruto said with a wide grin.

Inside the Temple, Bee lead him to another area. Naruto admired all the murals again, seeing the Shukaku mural first, it commanding the desert and firing air blasts, massive Nibi mural blowing out fireballs, the Sanbi one creating a tidal wave by just rolling in a ball on the waves, the Yonbi creating a massive volcanic eruption, the Gobi was running at speeds like the wind was trying to catch up to it, and the Sanbi was melting an mountain range. The last three murals had the Nanabi slashing through mountains with its wings, the Hachibi punching through another mountain...and they were in the shadow of the Kyubi itself. Which was creating tsunamis with a tail and using a roar to destroy several surrounding mountains on the mural.

"Wow...how long were all of these carved Bee?"

"Older than all the clans, the island turtle's been traveling all of the lands!" Bee said to his beat as the Hachibi's eight tentacles sprouted from his back as he tossed his swords up, the tails catching each one. "Now time to learn control, go V1 or your new mode, since we'll reshape this abode!"

Naruto blinked, nodding. He pushed his hands together, focusing and his new mode flared to life around his body, the flame-like chakra whipping around his shoulders. Naruto breathed out slowly and rotated his shoulder.

"Now what, Bee?!"

Bee then leaped up and using the blades in his tentacles, he cut a massive pillar into several shapes and blocks like they were nothing before tossing his swords back into the air, and maneuvered perfectly so they could land in their sheaths. He landed, his tentacles still flicked behind him and he cracked his neck.

"Your first task for you to pass is stacking these blocks!" Bee said with a smirk, his tentacles reached and grabbed all the blocks and shaped rocks and stacked them perfectly into a new pillar. "This will show you Biju Chakra rocks! Visualize an arm, push it forward and you'll do it without harm!"

Naruto nodded. "Right!"

Naruto slapped his hands together again, gathering the chakra to his arms and he shot out at the first block. However, he grabbed it too hard and shattered it with a flex of the ethereal fist. He blinked as the shards of rock fell out of his chakra arm.

"Yah gotta be careful, Biju Chakra is very strong just a tiny bit of strength will give the enemy a handful!"

"Right!" Naruto yelled back as he tried again, reaching out with another Chakra Arm and this time grabbing another block more gently. Breathing in through his nose calmly, he went to lift it and the 'claws' at the end of the arm pierced the rock. _Gentler! Gentler!_

He lifted it up slowly, trying to control the amount of strength he was putting into the ethereal hand. Gently he lowered it, placing on the ground and he reached out for the next one as Yamato came walking in with Tenko and Hinata. Naruto grabbed another and applied enough force to lift it, sweat appearing on his forehead as he slowly carried it back to the other block.

_Damn...this is __**much**__ harder than what Bee made it seem like..._

"...so they're just going to play with blocks?" Tenko asked as he blinked a bit.

"I'd like...to see you try doing this Tenko!" Naruto retorted, trying to concentrate to lift the block without crushing it. He grabbed it too lightly and he reacted quickly, shooting out a new arm to grab the block before it could fall. "Phew, that was close..."

He then placed the block on the first, working to get the next out. Like Bee, he began making more Chakra Arms so he could grab more blocks. Sweat trickled down his brow as he messed up again with one of the new arms, squashing the rock block like it was nothing. He gritted his teeth and grabbed another, trying to keep it in control.

"Come on...gentle...gentle..." ...and he crushed another one, and Naruto's eye twitched. "Okay...lets...try this again..."

And after he crushed several more blocks, he finally grabbed one with enough force to pick it up and put it on his little 'tower'. He panted slightly and wiped his forehead, there were six Chakra Arms around him as Tenko grinned.

"Heh, I wonder what old man Fukasaku'd say of this training Naruto!"

"He'd probably bat me over the head with that black stick of his to help me concentrate!" Naruto replied, laughing slightly. "Wait..."

Bee grinned. "Ya have an idea to train that's not going to be a pain?"

Naruto grinned. "Just watch!"

He then sat cross legged, breathing in slowly as he calmed himself down. Slowly he sent one of his chakra arms and grabbed a block, and he felt it to try to get its weight and size. He took a slow, deep breath and began lifting it up, the ethereal hand twitching as he tried to control his strength.

_Calm down...not too hard or soft...just have to keep the grip enough not to crush the rock..._

Then he placed the block right on top of the tower. Keeping himself calm as he focused, he reached out with another arm and put the next block up...then the next one...and the next...until he had a tower as high as the one that Bee had created. He opened his eyes, breathing in and out as his chakra arms withdrew to his sides and shoulders. And shortly after that, he turned off his Chakra Mode, and wiped his forehead.

"Awesome, you stacked them all! And none of them are gonna fall!"

"Heh...thanks Bee! I remembered my senjutsu training and thought the stillness and calmness of it would work here..." Naruto said with a grin. "It helped a lot with the control..."

"Now ya'll have to do it again, until this part of the training ends up in the bargain bin!"

Naruto grinned, giving a thumbs up as he reentered his Chakra Mode, the chakra bursting around him like a warm flame. Tenko grinned, and he felt something stirring in his body...a drive he's never felt before.

_I'm already behind him...I need to catch up!_ Tenko thought, his body trembling in excitement. _I need to master _my_ Sage Mode!_

At the same time, high in the air Deidara and Kabuto were swooping down to a lower altitude to try to get a better look at the sea below. The Island Turtle was moving at a steady speed, it had already left the area where Kisame had pinpointed it before. Deidara grinned, already having planned in advance with his bombs when his summoner detected several presences nearby. Suddenly, the Sandaime Tsuchikage, Onoki came flying out of the sun which blinded Kabuto and Deidara, smashing his fist into the young snake user's chest with all his might.

_The old man?! When did he get here?!_ Deidara thought in surprise, looking back as Kabuto chuckled.

"What a weak punch..."

"Heh, I normally attack physically to see what type of opponent I'm facing," Onoki retorted confidently. "You're a clone, aren't you?" His eye narrowed. _So he wasn't Madara...and..._ "What's with that bird, and is that Deidara?!"

"Lets say...he's more or less the real thing..." Kabuto replied as his body changed into white clay and wrapped around the Tsuchikage's fist.

"A Nendo Bushin (Clay Clone)..." Onoki said with a growl.

"Onoki, you old geezer, it's been a while!" Deidara said, swooping in as his body turned into clay as well.

"Another one too!?"

Deidara and Kabuto observed, the mad explosive artist making a seal. "I'll remind you old man, my art..."

"Suiton: Mizu Misaru (Water Release: Water Missile)!" was then heard and Kabuto and Deidara went into a dive to avoid several shots of water shaped into explosive missiles and the mad artist snarled.

"As I was saying, Art is a blast!"

Deidara made a seal and the Nendo Bushins exploded around Onoki after glowing for a second. His eye narrowed however seeing a rock shaped like the Sandaime Tsuchikage falling to the sea below. Kabuto gave a smirk, glancing down at the sea.

In the sea itself, a dragon-like object swam through the depths at high speed. The Giant Squid which guarded the island was scanning the area when a huge mouth opened and then clamped down, cutting the squid's mantle in half. Its beak opened in surprise as ink and green blood began leaking...and it began sinking to the depths below.

Motoi looked up, sensing something approaching the island while on the outside of the temple. _Huh...what is that? Something's approaching rapidly but it's definitely not a human being..._

"What's happening?" Yamato asked.

"Get the garrison back into the temple, an attack's coming!"

In the sky, Onoki, Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi were floating as Mei on her Manta Ray flew over, and she prepared a seal. The Tsuchikage's eyes narrowed, and he looked directly at his former student. Deidara grinned while standing on his clay bird, and Kabuto licked his lips in anticipation.

"Didn't quite expect _that_...I heard you were dead Deidara," Onoki said, floating with a grimace. "You're back because of that technique aren't you...? And those were your Nendo Bushins..."

"And yours were Akatsuchi's Iwa Bushins weren't they you doddering old man! Not enough chakra anymore to produce your own?" Deidara asked with a smirk as he lifted his hand, the mouth in his hand doing a razz-berry at him. "Still haven't found the right successor huh?"

"Still treating your elders with no respect, even in death you don't change Deidara," Onoki retorted with a grunt. "I'm still strong enough to defeat you, or do you remember all the beatings I gave you when you challenged me with those ridiculous pieces of 'art'?"

A vein popped on Deidara's forehead and he growled. "My art has _evolved_ old man and you'll taste HOW!"

_So two Kages...the Tsuchikage and the Mizukage...hm...good thing I planned ahead,_ Kabuto thought, unconcerned as he made a seal. "Calm down Deidara, he's trying to get under your skin."

"I know...grr...right the objective," Deidara said with a snarl.

On the Island Turtle itself, the massive turtle was suddenly stopped in its tracks when something large bit right into its right back fin! The entire animal practically screeched to a halt as everyone and everything on it was sent flying forward from the loss of momentum. Hinata pushed herself up and Tenko reached down and helped her up and Motoi's eyes widened.

"What the hell was that?!" Tenko yelled and Motoi snarled.

"We're under attack, that's what!" Motoi replied as he performed a seal to widen his range of chakra sensing. "There's a massive snake that's stopped the island's movement!"

"Looks like Manda II found it, I'm surprised a big thing like that can move so fast," Kabuto said with a smirk as Deidara took the clay bird down into a dive.

"Follow them! Don't let them get away!" Mei yelled as she formed seals and she spat out several blasts of lava right at Kabuto and Deidara.

The mad artist smirked, spinning out of the way of each shot as Onoki dove as well, pushing his hands forward and he created his Jinton: Genkai Hakuri no Jutsu (Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique). Sparks formed as he combined the three chakra natures and a cylinder was formed with a glowing center. He then fired and Deidara and Kabuto barely hopped off the first bird, the mad artist creating another as the Tsuchikage wielded his jutsu in an arc to try catching them.

"You're just too slow old man!" Deidara said as the new clay bird, now with four wings began flying an an even faster speed towards the island turtle. "A giant mobile island fortress, heh, it'll be fun blowing up!"

"Be careful though, Deidara. Our quarry are down there, both the Kyubi and the Hachibi," Kabuto said with a grin, pushing up his glasses as the mad artist reached into his pack.

"Gotcha..." Deidara said with a grin. "I'll get to repay that bastard Naruto back for that punch he gave me. Yeah. What's the plan?"

"The island needs to be immobilized, so we're going to need a real _big_ bomb for it, Deidara."

"Damn it, they're too fast!" Kurotsuchi yelled alongside her grandfather.

On the Island Turtle, Manda II slithered up it at an increasingly high speed and wrapped around one of its giant spiked mountain spires. Inside the temple, Naruto and Bee were sent flying forward and the young Hokage used two Chakra Arms to catch himself and the rapping Jinchuriki wrapped one of his chakra arms around a pillar.

"Whoa! What's that?!" Bee yelled, straightening himself up. "Those quakes have been phat, making me fall to the wall!"

Naruto looked up...sensing a malice. "We're under..."

Below the turtle a jellyfish made of Deidara's special 'C3' chakra swam along until it was under the very bottom of the massive reptile. Deidara gave a smirk, lifting his hand up and making a seal as his bird weaved out of the way of another Mizu Misaru launched from Mei's Manta ray, a Genkai Hakuri no Jutsu from Onoki, and a few Yoton blasts from Kurotsuchi.

"Art is a blast! KATSU!" Deidara yelled with a big grin.

The C3 jellyfish glowed and then detonated with enough force to level an entire city, sending it's force upwards and flipping the giant chelonian onto its back with the help of Manda II's insane strength. The turtle gave a loud, pained groan as it was sent entirely onto it's back and created massive tsunami waves out in all directions. Inside all the animals and shinobi were sent from the floor to the ceiling, Yamato hastily doing seals.

"Mokuton: Jukai Kōtan (Wood Release: Nativity of a Sea of Trees)!" Yamato yelled creating a small but dense forest to catch everyone from falling.

Hinata, Tenko, and Motoi managed to flip, land on their feet on a branch with the Mokuton user, Aoba had to catch a lower branch, but Gai fell right through the branches due to having not fully recovered from using the Seventh Gate against Kisame's clone. He groaned, picking himself up as in another part of the Temple Naruto had to shoot his Chakra Arms everywhere to stabilize his fall while Bee continued to hang onto the pillar with one of his tentacles...and continued to write lyrics.

"Yo Naruto, how does..."

"I think we have more problems than finding lyrics right now Bee-sensei!"

Hinata snapped on her Byakugan, seeing Kabuto landing with Deidara on the Island Turtle's armored stomach. "I see him, its...Yakushi Kabuto! His body...its now entirely like Orochimaru's chakra, he even has a snake growing out of his stomach!"

"...who?" Tenko asked as he looked at the Hyuga and blinked. "The Kabuto part, not the Orochimaru part, I know who that snake bastard is."

"Kabuto was Orochimaru's right hand man, and after Uchiha Sasuke defeated him Kabuto incorporated his master's remains into his own body to get stronger," Yamato said, his eyes narrowed. "Naruto, Hinata, and I encountered him nearly three months ago and Orochimaru's remains just had taken over thirty percent of his body..."

"Its now one hundred percent, Yamato-taicho," Hinata said and she breathed in. "What's more...I see...several other chakra's mixed with him as well. All in a perfect balance..."

"Then he's even more dangerous and working with Akatsuki," Yamato said darkly as he breathed in through his nose. "What of the Akatsuki with him?"

"Its...the blond haired one we saw in the book Kabuto gave us originally-Deidara...but...he's supposed to be dead," Hinata said, focusing her Byakugan on Deidara and she gasped. "...there is...someone inside him...unconscious...and its like his body is made of ash, paper, and dust, not flesh and blood..."

Yamato's eyes widened. "...Kuchiyoise: Edo Tensei...Kabuto even mastered that technique..." he gritted his teeth. "We need to move out to stop him. Motoi-san, keep an eye on Naruto-sama and Killer Bee, we'll hold off Kabuto."

Outside on the Turtle's shell, Kabuto grinned triumphantly as he took his first steps on enemy territory. Deidara took out his eye piece and dodged several Mizu Misarus from above, and both of them looked to see both Kages and their bodyguards flying at full speed towards them. In Onoki's palms was another Genkai Hikari no Jutsu, this time shaped like a spinning cone with several little jets around it as it pulled more chakra and power into it. A bead of sweat trickled down Deidara's forehead, remembering how strong his former teacher was.

"Deidara! You've forgotten how fearsome I become!" Onoki yelled, pushing his hands forward as they finished crossing the distance. "Its time you remembered!"

The sheer power of the Jinton in Onoki's palms made Kabuto step back a little bit, losing his trademark smirk. _This could be problem...out of all the current Kage Ryotenbin no Onoki is the most destructive with his Jinton nature..._

"Here it comes!" Onoki began before Akatsuchi acted quickly and wrapped his arms around the Tsuchikage's, making him release the attack. "Akatsuchi, what are you doing?!"

"You'd have blown up the entire island if you let lose that attack Onoki-sama!" Akatsuchi yelled as Deidara launched three C1 birds at both of them.

"Suiton: Mizurappa (Water Release: Wild Water Wave)!" Ao yelled, blowing out a wave of water at the incoming birds to smash them into the sea where they exploded. "Mizukage-sama, we'll aid Tsuchikage-sama here against the undead Akatsuki, you pursue the snake user."

"Be careful, that one's rather dangerous," Mei ordered as she jumped off her ray and landed on the Island Turtle's stomach, taking off after Kabuto who had already used that time to begin moving towards the center of the giant animal.

Kabuto was smirking, moving forward as Manda II slithered out of the water and wrapped itself around one of the pectoral fins of the turtle, before wrapping the rest of itself around the turtle's neck to keep it from trying to flip over. Two streams of lava went shooting at Orochimaru's successor, who just leaped over them and skidded out of the way of the third that had been launched and he turned to face the Mizukage. Mei wiped the lava from her lips as she prepared the next move.

"Ah yes, the Mizukage too," Kabuto said with a smirk as he did a seal. "Shame I don't have time to play with you personally, but I've been dying to test this Edo Tensei out."

He then slammed his hands together and a coffin rose out of the ground. _Who is it...?_ Mei thought, taking out a kunai from a holster on her hip.

The coffin opened...and to her shock Hanzo the Salamander came walking out, brandishing his trademark kusarigama in his hands. He looked at Mei with golden eyes trapped in a black sclera, and steam rose out of his village symbol engraved respirator. The legendary shinobi was wearing his usual dark gray cape over his light gray flak jacket had two swirls on its chest, and he topped it off by wearing black pants. Kabuto smirked as he pulled out a kunai with a new fuda, pushing it right into his head.

"I wonder, Mizukage-dono, if you're strong enough to face the man who defeated the Sannin, hm?" Kabuto said and Hanzo snarled.

"If it weren't for this binding fuda, you arrogant little snot I'd be attacking you right now," Hanzo said as he turned his attention to Mei. "...though I hate the Five Nations...I guess I'll have to take my anger about being revived like this on you!"

With that, he flicked his wrist and tossed the weighted chain of his kusarigama right at Mei, forcing her to jump out of the way. Hanzo followed up by charging at her with the scythed end, slashing at her and the Mizukage blocked with her kunai, sparks flew off their blades as they broke away. Mei dodged the chain again which smashed hard into the turtle's shell as she did seals, taking a deep breath.

"Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet)!" Mei yelled and she shot forth a massive dragon-shaped torrent of water at Hanzo.

The salamander leaped out of the way as the water smashed and carved a little trench into the shell of the Island Turtle. "Impressive power..." Hanzo commented, doing several seals. "But futile..." steam rose from his mask as he took a deep breath. "Katon: Amekata Doragon Kouen no Jutsu (Fire Release: Rain Style Dragon Flame Technique)!"

Hanzo's eyes seemed to glow as he shot forth a massive dragon shaped blast of flame from his respirator, complete with wings and gigantic claws. Mei's eyes widened and she flew through her own seals and jumped back towards the sea as the dragon flame flew at her. The Mizukage then pushed her hands forward.

"Suiton: Suijinheki (Water Release: Water Encampment Wall)!" Mei yelled as she shot water out of her mouth _and_ added the sea to her attack. Both the dragon flame and water wall collided with each other and a massive amount of steam was created. _Excellent..._

Mei jumped out of the way as Hanzo burst through the steam, slashing his scythe at her head. The Mizukage ducked but a few strands of her hair had been severed. Mei acted quickly and smashed her heel into his stomach and sent him skidding back as she did a seal.

"Futton: Kōmu no Jutsu (Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique)!" Mei yelled as she breathed out into the steam her special acidic mist.

Inside it Hanzo scowled, his respirator filtering the acid out but his body was starting to melt. "Impressive..." he said and used a Shunshin to escape the acidic mist. Once he was out he slammed his palm to the ground. "Kuchiyoise no Jutsu!"

In a puff of smoke which blew the acidic mist away and left Mei back out in the open...she saw Hanzo's signature summon, the giant salamander Ibuse. She cursed, breathing out as Hanzo smirked behind his mask, making a seal and then smashing his palm right down onto his salamander's head. Its bottom cheek swelled as it took a deep breath in.

"Now...smoke her!" Hanzo said as Ibuse then expelled a massive amount of poisoned smoke from his mouth at the Mizukage.

Mei covered her mouth. _Damn it...I need to get out of that..._

Before she could finish her thought her manta ray then swooped down, momentarily slowing down as the poisonous mist approached its master...then it flapped its wings and shot off like a bullet. Several sonic booms were heard as the mist was dispelled, being blowing right back into Hanzo and Ibuse's faces. Hanzo snarled and his respirator filtered the poison out harmlessly but Ibuse began rubbing his nose in annoyance of his own mist.

"So you have your own summon...highly impressive. I hope it doesn't succumb to the poison in mid air though," Hanzo commented as he jumped off. "So far you're entertaining me, Mizukage."

"I'm glad to hear that, since its time I put this to an end Hanzo-dono," Mei said as she made a strange seal and then blew out lava around her feet...and it rose and encased herself. "Yoton no Yoroi (Lava Release Armor)."

_She increased her defensive and offensive ability with that chakra nature armor...Sandaime Raikage was said to have mastered a Raiton version of it..._ Hanzo thought to himself, holding the weighted chain of his kusarigama. "Ibuse, go back home, you'll get caught in this!"

Ibuse nodded and burst away in a puff of smoke as Mei launched herself at Hanzo. The former Ame Ninja Leader jumped back, barely avoiding a punch from the Mizukage. She followed up with a series of punches and kicks, each transferring the deadly heat and fumes from her armor to Hanzo. Behind his respirator Hanzo sneered, paper and ash flying off his body as he jumped back and tossed his kusarigama's scythe behind him and he used it to pull him out of the path of palm strike Mei had loaded.

"I'm impressed you pushed me to use this technique, you definitely live up to your name of Mizukage," Hanzo said as he did a seal. "But this ends..."

"Don't be so arrogant you old fool," Mei chided, jumping forward and launching a wave of lava from her mouth under the armor and Hanzo finished his seal sequence.

"Katon: Hachiman," Hanzo uttered when he finished and flames began appearing around his body...and started to form into a ribcage and aura. The wave of lava smashed into it and was...divided by the defense as the flames continued to grow and add a full skeletal structure...followed by 'skin'...and finally armor with the symbol of the sun on the 'helmet'. "Meet Amegakure's guardian War god...Hachiman!"

"This is...like the Susano'o technique Uchiha Sasuke used..." Mei whispered as the giant flame warrior brandished a large scythe.

"I wouldn't be surprised, I developed this technique after studying Uchiha Madara's use of it in the old days," Hanzo said as the Mizukage braced herself. "I can _solidify_ fire, its one of the things that made me so strong...it can make an extremely strong defense as you see..."

It was at the same moment, Kurotsuchi swooped down to confront Kabuto while Hinata, Tenko, Yamato, and Aoba came out of the turtle to face him. Kabuto smirked, his eyes darting as the Iwa kunoichi did her own seals.

"Yoton: Sekkaigyō no Jutsu (Lava Release: Quicklime Congealing Technique)!" Kurotsuchi yelled and spat out several blasts of white lava at Kabuto.

"Ah, so Naruto is _inside_ the turtle, I see now," Kabuto said offhandedly as he dodged the Iwa Kunoichi's attack easily, looking at his snake tail which nodded. "Now how do I get in...?"

"Hakke Kusho (Eight Trigrams Air Palm)!" Hinata yelled as she pushed her hand forward, trying to hit Kabuto with the air shell.

Kabuto leaped over it like it was mere child's play as he sidestepped more of the white lava globs that Kurotsuchi shot at him. She gritted her teeth and did another seal, taking a deep breath through her nose as her cheeks flushed.

"Suiton: Mizurappa (Water Release: Water Trumpet)!" Kurotsuchi yelled, blowing out a high pressure amount of water right at the lava to make it splash up at Kabuto. _The second it touches him it'll harden and he'll be immobilized..._

The snake however shunshined out of the path of the incoming quicklime, dodging another Hakke Kusho and two Mokuton roots. Kabuto smirked, his eyes seeing who was assembled to face him...and he licked his lips.

_I would really love to see this higher level of Byakugan that Kisame described in his information.._ he looked at Hinata, then his eyes drifted to Tenko. _And from the looks of it, it looks like there is a bastard child of Jiraiya here too...wonder if he has the same potential..._ He then jumped over two Mokuton spikes and smirked. _But this is my actual target...Naruto and the Hachibi can wait._

"Tenko, work with me and the Iwa Kunoichi to box him in," Yamato said as he did a seal, creating a Mokuton Bushin. "Then Hinata, you seal up his tenkatsu with Hakke Rokujūyon Shō (Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms)."

"Hai!" Hinata and Tenko said as Yamato took off running at Kabuto while Tenko followed. Hinata activated her Byakugan, waiting for her moment.

Kabuto smirked, his hands glowing with chakra scalpels as Yamato and his clone began attacking. The clone morphed his hand into a giant wooden mallet, swinging it hard at Orochimaru's successor. Kabuto ducked, moving his hand up fluidly and slashed the clone's hand off before his snake tail lashed out and grabbed the clone by the neck and smashed it right into the real Yamato. Tenko then jumped at him, drawing his fist back.

"I wonder what you can do boy..." Kabuto said and his snake hissed in warning. He blinked, jumping back as Tenko's fist slammed into the turtle's shell and the area shook. _Extreme physical strength...now Jiraiya's was above average...but not that amount..._

"I'm not done yet!" Tenko yelled as he leaped up and launched a spinning roundhouse kick at Kabuto who jumped out of the way but the shock wave of his sheer physical sent him skidding back. Jiraiya's son then did a seal. "Now Ranjishigami no Jutsu (Wild Lion's Mane Technique)!"

With that he lashed out with his hair which grew wildly, sharping harder than steel and lashed out right at Kabuto. He jumped back, a small bead of sweat appearing on his forehead as Tenko's hair then shaped itself into a lion's maw and charged right at him. The Ranjishigami managed to wrap around Kabuto and impaled him from all sides. However the snake user just opened his mouth and shot out a new body right at Tenko.

Tenko blinked and he barely raised his hands to block the punch Kabuto launched, and he pushed upwards and sent his opponent flying over his body. Kabuto landed, licking his lips as Tenko's hair shrank back to normal, and he turned to face him.

"Now that jutsu...as well as the strength you display..." Kabuto licked his lips like Orochimaru would which added to the eerie sensation that Tenko, Kurotsuchi, Yamato, Aoba, and Hinata had. "You're the son of _both_ Sannin aren't you? My, my, I really didn't expect this!"

"And from the jutsu you use...that's Orochimaru's 'Shinsei no Jutsu', correct?" Tenko responded, a bead of sweat appearing on his forehead. _This guy's good...if I'm going to win I'm going to need Sage Mode..._

"Correct! You really show your lineage," Kabuto replied with a smirk. "Shame I didn't have an Edo Tensei prepared for you, but I guess it won't hurt to get my hands dirty to prepare for my real objective."

Tenko snarled. "You won't get Naruto!"

Kabuto did several seals and then shot forth his hand and several snakes were launched right at him. "Sen'ei Tajashu (Many Hidden Shadow Snake Hands)," he uttered calmly as Jiraiya's son did his own seals, breathing in.

"Hari Jizo (Needle Jizo)!" Tenko yelled as his body was then wrapped by his hair which then jutted out like steel needles to form a solid, tough defense.

The mass of snakes all smashed into Tenko and pushed him back, sacrificing themselves as they tried to get beyond his needle defense. The solid mass of hardened hair held up and the surviving snakes couldn't bite through it to inject their venom into Tenko's body. Kurotsuchi and Yamato used that moment to attack simultaneously, Kurotsuchi now blasting dark lava from her mouth and Yamato transformed his entire arm into sharp roots and he shot them at Kabuto.

Kabuto jumped back and Tenko followed up by biting his thumb, quickly going through the seals and he slammed his palm down. In a massive puff of smoke, he summoned Gamabunta. The old toad's wounds from Pain had finally healed and he was back in action. Tenko stood right on Gamabunta's head, and bit his wrists enough to draw blood as he scrawled it from the edge of his eye to the red line underneath it and completely intersected the marking, and did the same with the other eye. He breathed out, preparing to enter Sage Mode.

"Tenko huh, what did you summon me for?" Gamabunta asked as he pulled his pipe out and breathed out smoke.

"I need you to buy me some time with Yamato, Hinata, and that Iwa Kunoichi against that snake bastard down there," Tenko sad and Gamabunta put his pipe back into his mouth."

"Fine, I can't let my skills get rusty after the battle with Pain after all!" Gamabunta announced, sliding his giant dosu sword right out of its sheath.

_With Gamabunta here it makes things more problematic..._ Kabuto thought as he sent a telepathic command to Manda II to attack the giant toad, jumping out of the way of Gamabunta's slash which sent a shockwave making him skid back.

At that moment, Hinata, Yamato, and Kurotsuchi attacked as one. The Mokuton user created several wooden tentacles tipped with a sharp spike from the ground and surged them towards Kabuto. Kurotsuchi then launched a wave of corrosive lava to make the snake user jump out of the way, which he did rather lazily. Chakra formed around Hinata's arms as she formed two lions heads made out of chakra, launching towards Kabuto to finish the combination attack.

"Ah_, _Jūho Sōshiken (Gentle Step Twin Lion Fists)_, _one of your new signature techniques isn't it Hinata-san?" Kabuto asked as he dodged her first palm strike, and then the other and he got into her guard. "But really, you didn't expect to hit me did you?"

His hand glowed blew, creating a Chakura no Mesu and he launched an upward slash. Hinata's eyes widened, and she barely forced herself away using a Hakke Kusho, but her shirt and undershirt were torn open. Kabuto capitalized on it and launched his tail and wrapped it around the Hyuga Heiress's torso and slammed her away into Kurotsuchi who barely caught her.

"You okay Hyuga-san?!" Kurotsuchi asked as she skidded back.

Hinata nodded, panting. "Y-Yes, thank you...he's strong..." she breathed out. "And that Orochimaru chakra on him...seems to make him even stronger."

"Very observant, Hinata-san," Kabuto said with a grin as he created another scalpel in his other hand.

Gamabunta jumped over, preparing to slash Kabuto in half when he was forced to dive out of the way of the absolutely gigantic tail of Manda II, and he back flipped and landed on the water to dodge the giant snake's huge jaws. Tenko breathed in, still concentrating to get enough chakra for Fukasaku and Shima. Tenko then felt Gamabunta standing still for a few moments...and his energy seemed to change.

"I haven't been laying on my ass since the battle with Pain, youngin," Gamabunta said, grasping his blade as Tenko realized.

"Y-You've got Sage Mode now as well Gamabunta?!" Tenko yelled as Manda II lunged again right at them again.

At the last second, Gamabunta sidestepped the strike using the new senses he had in Sage Mode and he spun around, slamming his sword right into the humungous snake's side with such force it was sent flying upwards. It hissed in pain, withdrawing back to the Island Turtle's throat as its own dripped blood.

"Time to take the fight to them!" Gamabunta yelled, charging chakra to his legs and launching himself right at the island turtle at full speed. There were two puffs of smoke right on Tenko's shoulders as he finished concentrating.

Kabuto was advancing towards Yamato, Kurotsuchi, and Hinata, dodging or deflecting all their attacks like they were nothing. Yamato created a mokuton katana, running right at the snake user who ducked the slash which was enough to cut off the very top of his hood, had his snake tail bite into the mokuton user's ankle and then tossed him at full force right at Kurotsuchi and Hinata. He then took off running right at them, a psychotic smirk appearing on his face.

"I have enjoyed..." before he could finish his sentence a white blur appeared in front of him and he was kicked _solidly_ in the chest by something with an insane amount of strength. Blood spat out of Kabuto's lips as he was sent skidding back and he growled. _I wasn't able to fully liquify in time...was it...Naruto __who did this?_

The ground had cracked and shattered from the impact of the white blur, thus there was smoke wafting up from its feet. When it cleared...he could see it was...Tenko but his features were different. His nose had grown large and bulbous with five wart-like bumps on it, red coloration covered his entire cheeks, and he grown both a thin white mustache and a beard. His eyes had become round rectangles like a toads, and his hands and feet resembled a toad's now as well. And on his shoulders were the two great toad sages, Fukasaku and Shima.

"Ready for round two, bastard?" Tenko asked, cracking his knuckles.

"Orochimaru-chan's disciple huh...definitely looks like him," Fukasaku said as Shima nodded.

"If Tenko-chan needed to summon us to help fight him, he must be as strong or stronger than that Uchiha boy we helped Naruto fight!" Shima added.

_Get him while they're still talking, Manda II!_ Kabuto thought as he straightened up, but coughed out another bit of blood.

Manda II then launched himself right at Tenko, zigzagging around Gamabunta's huge Suiton: Teppōdama (Water Release: Gunshot) at extremely high speed. He was going to hit Tenko like a battering ram and flatten him, but the Senjutsu user's eyes flashed as he spun, charging chakra to his fist to increase its power. Tenko then met Manda II head on, smashing his fist at full strength right into the giant snake's nose...and he _stopped_ the massive purple snake's charge like nothing. Manda II's eyes flashed and it gasped, releasing its hold on the Island Turtle's throat as it was knocked out from the blow.

Tenko jumped up onto the giant snake's muzzle, his hair standing up as he landed on his hands and feet. "Alright, we'll hit him all at once grandma, grandpa! Senpo: Kebari Senbon (Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon)!"

"Right! Zessenzan (Fighting Tongue Slash)!" both Toad Sages yelled, launching their tongues as Tenko shot hundreds of sharp, extremely high speed needles at Kabuto.

Kabuto managed to get up in time and his cheeks bulged just as the attacks hit, slashing his lower body while it was proliferated by needles. And with that he spat out a new body high into the air as his chakra scalpels appeared on his hands and he flew right at Tenko. The Senjutsu user was ready and he lowered his hand as chakra began swirling into it...and formed a solid sphere into the Rasengan. He bent backwards avoiding the x-slash that Kabuto tried and he slammed the Rasengan upward right into the snake user's stomach.

"Damn it, not that attack again!" Kabuto yelled as he was sent flying upwards by the Rasengan strike. _Only going to get one chance at this!_

With that his cheek's cracked...and he shed his human appearance to reveal his more snake-like true form and dove right down at the unsuspecting Yamato before Hinata, Kurotsuchi, or Tenko could react. With one gulp, he swallowed the Mokuton ANBU, slithered to Manda II's nose and the giant unconscious snake puffed away. He had managed to slash the Hyuga's cheek as well before he was done to collect some of her blood to analyze for later.

Tenko landed, growling as he looked around. "He unsummoned himself?! That coward!"

Deidara and Onoki were in mid battle in the sky, several clouds had been dispersed from the Tsuchikage's use of Jinton and the mad artist's bombs. Onoki had another Jinton: Genkai Hikari no Jutsu while Deidara had C4 out and ready to launch. The mad artist chuckled at his old teacher.

"I'll just show you how much my art has evolved old..." he began as a coffin appeared behind him. "What, STOP! I'M NOT!"

Before he could finish, the coffin slammed shut. And on the other side of the Island Turtle Mei had managed to block Hanzo's Hachiman sword slash with a lava dome, and the former Amegakure leader was starting to get bored. True the Mizukage had been countering his attacks, but none of her's could penetrate his Hachiman. Even her strongest suitons couldn't extinguish the solid flames that made up his strongest attack/defense technique.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to end this, Mizukage-dono," Hanzo said as he had his Hachiman create a tiger seal. "Katon..."

Before he could finish, another coffin rose from behind him and his movements halted. He snarled in frustration as his tag stopped him from moving just as the coffin slammed shut. And both his and Deidara's puffed away, leaving the island's defenders bewildered at the course of the battle...and shocked that Yamato had been captured.

_To be continued..._

**Author's Notes::**

Whew, what a chapter. I hope you liked the taste of what Tenko could do, Hinata's battle with the man who wanted her eyes, and Mei's battle with Hanzo. Spent a lot of time working on it. Next chapter is part II, with Konan's battle with 'Madara'. Hope you'll like the changes there!


	17. Moving the Pieces into Place Part II

Chapter 17: Moving the Pieces into Place Part II

**Amegakure, the same day**

A steady downpour of heavy rain continued to bathe the industrial village of Amegakure, it has been like this ever since its late former leader, Nagato, had sacrificed himself to bring back everyone he killed in Konohagakure. His partner, the blue haired Konan was fixing a origami rose into her hair as she closed her gray eyes...she was still trying to get the technique down that could control the rain which Nagato had used. Konan looked down upon her village, she was focused on getting Amegakure into a war footing to aid the newly formed Allied Shinobi Forces against Madara's Akatsuki. Her Jonin and Chunin marched down the streets of the village while the clang of weapons being forged were heard in the blacksmith district. All over the village, little 'angels' were put up made of her kami bushins.

Paper began forming behind her back and formed into large, angelic wings and she flew into the downpour towards the hidden shrine where Nagato and Yahiko were entombed. She then looked up as if she noticed something.

_That chakra...I definitely recognize..._ even though Konan couldn't cancel Nagato's technique, she could still use it to sense intruders. "Madara, so he's finally decided to make his appearance..."

In the streets of Amegakure, Madara had appeared out of the swirl of his mask, his Jikukan Ido providing a whirlpool effect in the area. He breathed in through his nose, looking around as he first set up his...safe guard. He slowly put his hand to the ground and smirked behind his mask.

_This'll be the perfect place, right in the highest concentration of Ame's population..._

Once he was finished, he jumped up to see several paper butterflies converging around him, which slowly unfolded and formed into Konan's full form with two angelic wings on her back. Her gray eyes narrowed, seeing Madara their who folded his hands behind his head.

"Is that anyway to greet your former comrade and leader, Konan? I was expecting to meet you the second I arrived."

"Nagato was Akatsuki's _true_ leader, you were nothing but its mastermind," Konan said, hissing through her teeth at him.

Madara chuckled darkly. "Really now?" he stretched nonchalantly. "I guess we'll have to fight, though you could _really_ save yourself the trouble if you just tell me where you're keeping Nagato."

"Over my dead body," Konan said bitterly, her eyes narrowed to thin slits. "I predicted you'd come, lets take the battle out of the village."

"Very well," Madara said with a smirk behind his mask.

With that, Konan's body broke apart into many slips of paper that were unaffected by the heavily falling rains. Once they had fully broken apart they formed into little paper butterflies and flew out into the area. Madara followed suit, his body disappearing right into his visible eye while the citizens of Amegakure went along their merry way without noticing the change.

On the outskirts of the village on a small sea, Madara reappeared on top of a floating destroyed pipe while Konan reformed a half second later. The lost Uchiha's Sharingan began tracing every piece of paper that formed around the former Akatsuki member. Once her torso and wings were formed, Konan lifted her hand up and the remaining papers all formed into several Kami Bushins, nearly 50 in all.

_She really seems to have prepared for my Jikukan Ido...the clones will provide a distraction so she can have a chance of hitting me while I re-solidify..._ Madara's Sharingan narrowed as steam began rising and his vision was obscured by a wall of chakra. _Kirigakure no Jutsu..._

"I haven't been sitting on my ass all this time, Madara," the real Konan said as she formed a spear out of paper and sharpened it to an insane degree at the tip. "ATTACK!"

The clones burst through the blinding mist and Madara let the first two phase through him as he jumped off of the pipe he was standing on, grabbing a metal support from it and he blocked two paper swords from another two clones. He spun his improvised weapon as he leaped back blocking several kami shurikens from the clones. His eyes widened as he saw explosive tags forming right on the edge of some of the kami shurikens he deflected which immediately exploded, forcing him to phase through it as two more clones came close.

Using one handed seals, Madara took a deep breath. "Katon: Bakufū Ranbu (Fire Release: Blast Wave Dance)!" Combining his Mangekyo with the blue colored Katon he blew out from outside his mask he obliterated nearly 10 of Konan's clones with one massive swirling vortex of flame.

The mist had temporarily been blown away but Konan was already acting quickly, sending out hundreds of paper kunai right at Madara who began warping them to counter while blocking attacks from the clones. Then two of the clones leaped right into the path of his eye, being consumed in what looked to be a suicidal gesture.

"Bushin...Daibakuha (Clone Great Explosion)!" the clones yelled as their bodies glowed and detonated with the force of at least 10 explosive tags...right in Madara's face.

Madara snarled, pushing himself back as his robes were blasted off as two more clones flew in, tossing kami shuriken with explosive tags attached to keep the pressure up. In response, the Uchiha phased into the water to avoid the assault and he reappeared behind several more clones and began firing large, blue colored fireballs right at them.

The clones were destroyed as Konan herself began firing several hundred kami kunai right at Madara who let them phase through him. The remaining clones flew towards him, creating chakrams made out of chakra and then tossing them at high speed. The Uchiha avoided one, and then he began to phase out of the second one and just as he finished the chakram exploded, sending him tumbling forward as more of his Akatsuki robes were blown off.

The rest of the clones flew at him and Madara took a deep breath through his nose and he blew out a large firestorm from where his mouth was on his mask before spinning around at high speed. The clones were caught in the fire tornado as the Uchiha stopped, his eye showing an arrogant smirk. The mist began reforming as Konan herself flew in.

Madara's eye narrowed as Konan pointed her wings forward and shot forth a huge stream of paper right at him directly. The Uchiha stood up, his Sharingan darting from sided to side as the paper enveloped him and he phased through it.

_What is the wench trying...?_ Madara thought as he paper all began swirling around him and pelting him.

"Kami Teikiatsu (Paper Cyclone)!" Konan yelled as she charged her paper spear with chakra, flying in at full speed.

In response, Madara reached and grabbed her by the neck. "I think we're done here..."

With that, Konan saw the Uchiha's Sharingan swirl...into a Mangekyō form she recognized from Deidara's description of his battle with Hatake Kakashi. It was like a three pointed shuriken, and the blades were 'connected' like it was in mid spin. When he had used it before, she couldn't make it out because of the distance and the shadow of Madara's mask.

"Meet my real technique, Kamui," Madara said coldly and began sucking her into his eye.

"I'm not going down yet!" Konan yelled as her torso disintegrated into many sheets of paper.

Madara's eye widened as the papers he had already sucked into his Kamui changed into explosive tags and simultaneously ignited with such force he was sent flying back and his arm had been blown off. The top of his mask spun in mid air before falling into the water and he skidded back on its surface as Konan reformed, breathing in and out through her nose. She had used the explosion to get the distance she needed away from the Uchiha, her wings reforming.

"Impressive...I underestimated you," Madara said, red blood trickling from his forehead as he flexed his remaining arm. "No wonder why Nagato trusted you so much."

"I'm not done, Madara," Konan said as she pushed her hand forward. "You're now in _my_ battlefield."

Madara blinked rapidly at that, his Mangekyō keeping a good look at her as he tried to process what she meant. "...what..."

Before he could even complete his sentence, the water began peeling away at a extremely fast rate...the entire massive lake split in two and papers began fluttering in the wind of the mass displacement. And Madara began to fall into the abyss, being unable to keep his footing since it was gone. He gritted his teeth behind his mask.

"Ever since I left Akatsuki, I've been preparing for this day Madara," Konan said as he fell. "Your Jikukan...your _Kamui_ if that's what its called has a time limit of five minutes. You can't keep it active more than that!"

"Having me fall won't stop me from..." Madara started as paper began wrapping around him as he began to Kamui...and the paper turned into explosive tags and exploded and prevented him from using his jutsu.

"The chasm you're falling into...you'll fall for 10 minutes..." Konan flapped her wings to gain altitude. "And all that time, myKami no Shisha no Jutsu (Paper Person of God) will be erupting in explosions...six hundred trillion explosive tags were put in there! You'll vanish!" The color faded from Madara's face as he continued his descent. "NOW DIE!"

And with that, the explosive tags started to detonate and the entire area began to vibrate from the force of the combined blasts. Even dozens of kilometers away, the blast plumes could be clearly seen and the citizenry of Amegakure all turned to watch their 'Angel' fighting the 'darkness' that she had warned them about. They began cheering as the explosions continued, shockwaves and reverberations shattering the glass of buildings on the outskirts of the village.

Madara attempted to remain intangible with his Kamui, each set of explosions making it harder and harder for him to concentrate on it. _She really...knew how to prepare...that Jiraiya trained her well..._ For five minutes, the blasts continued and Konan watched and set off the next amount. _I'll have to use...THAT technique to survive..._

Just as Madara's intangibility ran out he performed a set of one handed seals. The rest of his Akatsuki uniform was blown off by the nearby explosions as he completed the jutsu...and let Konan's continue. Amegakure's Angel landed nearby, breathing in and out through her nose as she kept focused.

"Die Madara...vanish into the light..." Konan whispered angrily as another massive downpour started, and her senses through it still confirmed that Madara was in the chasm.

After the ten minutes were up, she dropped to her knee. Her Shikigami no Mai wore off from the chakra strain and she took deep breaths to recover from the ordeal. The rain was confirming that Madara wasn't in the chasm anymore, and she wiped her head. Nagato was safe, as were the Rinnegan, and she could begin plans to destroying the Gedo Mazo...

"At last...Madara is..."

"Dead right?" a voice said from behind her and her eyes widened, her sensing flaring as she jumped, shifting right to the left as a pipe pierced her torso. She had barely avoided her vitals being hit and was forced back to the water's surface.

"How...how are you still alive...?" Konan demanded as blood began to leak from her mouth.

"Izanagi," Madara said from behind her as he twist the pipe to inflict more damage, the eye in shadow he had slowly closing as his Mangekyō eye took on an deranged look, the veins visible nearly up to the iris. "Only those who have both Senju _and_ Uchiha powers can use this technique."

"Senju...and Uchiha...what are you talking about?" Konan growled and she spit out a little blood and wiped her lip.

"The Senju and Uchiha Clan used to be one and the same, the Rikudo Sennin being the progenitor of **both** clans," Madara explained as he twisted the pipe a bit more. "You are looking at the _second_ Rikudo, with Nagato being the _third_. Senju and Uchiha in one body means that a technique similar to that of the Sennin's, Banbutsu Sōzō, is unlocked. Said technique being Izanagi." With that, he pushed Konan forward roughly as she stumbled forward. "With the Rinnegan, Izanagi doesn't carry any cost...a Sharingan that's used will be closed forever. Now, save yourself more...damage, tell me where you hid Nagato."

Konan snarled as she put her hand to her wound to stop the bleeding. Even a non-vital area would bleed out if she didn't re-assume her Shikigami no Mai. "So that's one...of the reasons why you want Nagato's Rinnegan...so you don't have a price to pay if you use that technique."

"Very astute," Madara said as he flicked the pipe and Konan's blood flew off it. "It'll also allow me to complete the real objectives in the War. I doubt Nagato even realized what _exactly_ the Gedo Mazo statue truly was."

Konan finally was able to will up enough chakra and her body began splitting into paper as she lifted her hands. "No matter what you're planning, I'll stop you. I'll protect the trust that Nagato put in Naruto!"

A Kami Chakram was formed over her head and she tossed it at full speed at Madara. The Uchiha leaped over it as it created a wave. Konan began tossing more and more at the Uchiha who blocked them with his pipe but one managed to slice through it and he managed to phase through it. Landing as opponent created a blade of paper, she charged him him and began to duel him, their blades clashing and Konan pushed him back. Block, parry, spin, and sparks flew off their blades as they fought on the surface of the water. Blood dripped from Konan's wound but she still pushed forward, the strength of her chakra disrupting the water as much as the rain did.

_Even with that injury, she just isn't **quitting**_, Madara thought in annoyance and Konan yelled, disarming him and she slashed at him. He wasn't able to use Kamui in time and received as slash right into his side, his blood spraying forward. In anger he smashed his fist right into her wound and sent her skidding across the surface of the lake. "You have forced me to use this..."

Madara lifted up two fingers and there was a massive puff of smoke at the center of Amegakure. Two of its skyscrapers were seemingly cut in half by massive blades as the Nanabi, the Seven Winged Beetle appeared and gave a loud destructive roar which blew apart the surrounding area. Konan's eyes widened as she spat out more blood and the Uchiha used that distraction and dashed forward grabbing her by the neck and lifting her up with one hand as his own wound leaked blood and coated his pants red.

A small black ball was formed right at the Nanabi's mandibles, which it promptly consumed as Amegakure's ninja desperately tried to defend their home. Small puffs of smoke were seen on its bluish -black carapace from explosive tags and jutsus being used, but they couldn't even dent its shell. Steam was expelled from the Nanabi's thorax as it fired, its Bijudama being fired as a beam. Several buildings were torn apart by the sheer force of the attack before it detonated and took part of Amegakure with it. Konan could tell that Madara was having it hold back on its destructive might so he could keep her village hostage.

"Now you have a choice: save you damn village by telling me where you interred Nagato or let my pet there tear everything down until his corpse is found," Madara said as he squeezed. "Or I could just force you the old fashioned way and _let_ your damn village be destroyed."

"I'll...never...even if..." Konan whispered, struggling in his grip as she tried to get her jutsu active again.

"Fine," Madara said as his Mangekyo spun and he forced eye contact with her, he then spun her around and forced her to watch his pet's rampage. The Nanabi gave a massive roar which shattered several buildings and it threw its horn around and smashed into the Ame ninja's counter attack. Her eyes widened as Madara made her get into eye contact with him again. "_**TELL ME!**_"

"The...Rinnegan...Shrine...no I..." Konan whispered as she tried to resist and Madara made his genjutsu stronger. "...the Rinnegan...Shrine...under the...Smiling...God...Tower..."

"There, was _that_ so hard...?" Madara said with a snarl, starting to tighten his grip. "For your resistance, you're going to die..._and_ your village will be destroyed."

Konan's eyes widened in panic as...what looked like grains of sand began flying around them. Suddenly, they burst and Madara was forced to let go and a platform of sand formed under the paper user to catch her, and lift her up. The Uchiha watched her be raised out of his grasp and he turned...seeing the Kazekage and Hokage standing on a platform made of the same sand that had forced him to release her.

"Sorry we're late," Gaara said as Konan took several breaths, her airway clear and she coughed up more blood.

"More troublesome gnats," Madara said as he jumped out of the way of several Suna Shuriken. _With my injuries, I can't afford to fight Gaara and Tsunade..._

Tsunade knelt down by Konan and began healing her but the paper user grasped her wrist. "Not...me yet...save my village first..."

"Alright...hold out until then," Tsunade said as she did a seal and her Sōzō Saisei (Creation Rebirth) was released on her forehead. "I'll handle the Biju, Kazekage, you handle Madara."

Gaara nodded and his sand exploded from his gourd, whipping around and lashing right at Madara who dodged and did another set of one handed seals, blowing out several massive fireballs to try to distract the Kazekage. In response, Gaara's sand wrapped around him and Konan and the fireballs exploded harmlessly against it while Tsunade used a Shunshin to head to Amegakure. Bumps appeared on Gaara's sand as his eyes narrowed.

"Rendan: Suna Shigure (Successive Shots: Sand Drizzle)," Gaara said as he shot forth hundreds of bullets made out of sand right at Madara. They were moving so fast there were multiple pops as each projectile broke the sound barrier many times over.

In response, the Uchiha just stood there and activated his Kamui. Each of the bullets, despite their tremendous speed and piercing power all of them just passed through Madara's body without harming him. However, Gaara had counted on this and he lifted his hand before crushing it.

"Suna Bakuhatsu (Sand Explosion)!" Gaara had the chakra overload in each bullet and explode...so when Madara had finished phasing through the first wave he was sent skidding forward by the explosions of each bullet that was nearby.

_What a nuisance..._ Madara thought with a snarl, his back being hit by the shockwaves and the now molten glass that the exploded sand had made.

In Amegakure itself, the ninja were desperately trying to hold the giant Biju beetle back. Several hundred kunai with explosive tags were tossed at the Nanabi who just flicked them away with its wings. A line of jonin all got into position and flew through a set of seals and shot forth a massive combined Water Dragon right at the Nanabi, hitting it right in the thorax with a massive amount of force...but the Biju didn't even stagger. The Nanabi's shell was the second strongest defense the Biju had, next to Kyubi's own massive durability. Thus the massive beetle Biju was practically invulnerable to damage. It then roared, sending all the Jonin flying back like they were nothing but ants caught in a windstorm.

"What are we supposed to do here?! We're not even denting it!"

"We have to hold out for Angel-sama! She'll be back here soon to help us fight this thing!"

The Biju charged forward and smashed its horn into the Amegakure's defenders and ripped another one of the giant skyscraper's in two. Its wings slashed out, cutting several more buildings as the civilians tried to flee. A genin, no more than 11 or 12 clutched a kunai and prepared to guard the civilians behind him from the massive beetle as the Nanabi charged forward, its mandibles clicking it used its mass to cause more damage. Just before it could reach the boy there was a sound above them.

"Tsūtenkyaku (Heavenly Kick of Pain)!" And a blonde haired woman fell down from the sky out of nowhere and smashed her heel right into the Nanabi's head. The sheer force of the blow sent it crashing to the ground...and the Nanabi's armor then cracked and splintered. The genin looked up in awe as the woman landed, putting her hand to her hip. "Boy, be sure to get the civilians to safety, I'll handle things from here."

"S-Sure!"

Blue blood dripped from the Nanabi's wound as it rose back to its full height and Tsunade, the Godaime Hokage charged to meet its challenge. The Nanabi roared and pushed its horn forward and the Sannin grabbed right onto it, twisted and pulled with all her strength to toss the Biju right in the opposite direction. Several Jonin and Chunin landed near the Hokage as Tsunade cracked her knuckles.

"Whose the person Konan left in charge?" Tsunade demanded as the Nanabi struggled to get up, being a beetle it was having trouble righting itself when thrown right onto its back.

"I am ma'am, Daichi Hachiro is my name," Hachiro said, he was a tall, well built man with a scar that covered his forehead, that also went down his cheek. He was wearing the traditional Amegakure flak jacket and had two kunai swords on his back. "We weren't expecting a Biju to attack us when Angel-sama said she was going to fight Madara!"

"I wouldn't have planned for that either, but you have to adapt," Tsunade said as she breathed out. "While I fight the Biju, you keep the civilians safe. Get them to the shelters, understood?"

"Understood, ma'am!" Hachiro said as he turned to his comrades. "You heard her, we have to focus on the evacuation! Lets move!"

With that, the Jonin and Chunin disappeared using Shunshin as the Biju righted itself. It gave a roar and Tsunade punched her fist to her hand. The Nanabi flew at her at high speed as the Sannin leaped towards one of the collapsing buildings and grabbed it...and then lifted it right up. Using it like a giant bat, she swung it right at the Nanabi and hit it in the face. The Biju roared and was sent flying back. Its wings began beating at a higher rate to right itself as Tsunade kept up her attack.

Using another shunshin she charged chakra to her fist and drew it back. Just as the Nanabi had managed to equalize its falling momentum Tsunade slammed her fist, using the full force of her strength as well as the enhancing of it with her chakra control to shatter another part of the beetle's carapace and send it sprawling to the ground. She landed just as the Nanabi managed to counter, slashing forth with a wind blade from its wings. She jumped out of the way...but her arm was severed right above her elbow, near her shoulder and she gasped in pain.

She glanced back as the wind blade cut through several massive buildings before losing power on the outskirts of the village. The Nanabi seemed to laugh at that, finally having scored its own blow against the Sannin...when she held out her stump. New bones first grew out, completing her arm and then her hand, before muscles regrew on them and then a new layer of skin completed the regeneration. Tsunade squeezed her new fist, breathing out.

_Alright, avoid the wind blades-at least I know about them now,_ Tsunade thought, flexing her new arm and rotating it.

The Nanabi growled in annoyance, floating back up as its broken armor began dropping from its thorax. Tsunade noticed the last 'tail' that the Nanabi seemed to use to 'stand' on or keep itself balanced in the air. Forming a plan, she grabbed her blood from her old limb, and did several seals before slamming her palm down.

"Kuchiyoise no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!" Tsunade yelled out and in a massive puff of smoke, Katsuyu, the Queen of the Slugs, had been summoned. "Katsuyu, get ready for combat!"

"As you wish, my lady!" Katsuyu said as the Nanabi roared and flew towards them. The giant slug met the charge. "Zesshi Nensan (Tongue Tooth Sticky Acid)!"

The Nanabi managed to avoid the acid spit that Katsuyu shot at it but several droplets of it managed to hit its wings, and the Biju hissed in pain as the acid burned holes through them. It roared in anger and launched more wind blades, dozens of them at the queen slug and Tsunade. Tsunade predicted this and leaped off her summon's head...just as Katsuyu was hit. However the queen slug divided just in time and split into hundreds of tiny Katsuyus which were all linked.

The Nanabi roared in annoyance and created a screen of wind blades as it tried to hit all the divided clones that Katsuyu had created. In their smaller form however, the Katsuyus were faster and more agile and crawled and dodged each blade while they shot acid right up at the Biju. Tsunade herself had landed on top of a nearby skyscraper, forming a plan.

_Without that tail to keep itself balanced, it won't be able to fly nor stand,_ Tsunade thought to herself as the Nanabi hissed and roared, blowing away several of the Katsuyu clones. In response they all shot a massive combined acid attack. _With Katsuyu keeping it busy, I'll be able to grab onto it but I won't be able to drag it down with my weight..._

Katsuyu's clones continued their barrage and fired wave and wave of corrosive acid right at the Nanabi. The massive beetle roared and managed to dodge most of it but its wing-tips began to melt as miniscule amounts of the acid made contact.

"Suppaikō (Acid Rain)!" the Katsuyu's yelled and shot a massive amount of acid into the air above the Nanabi which began falling with the rain, hitting the Biju's in the back.

The Nanabi howled and roared in pain as its carapace started to succumb to the acid rain as the Katsuyus began to reform. Tsunade leaped down from her safe area, putting her hand on one of the clones.

"Tsunade-sama?" Katsuyu asked and looked up at her.

"I have a plan," Tsunade said as she stood up. "But I need your help. Can you make a smaller clone and put it on me to start with?"

Katsuyu nodded and from the clone, a smaller Katsuyu split off from her and Tsunade put it on her shoulder. With that, the Sannin used a shunshin to get back onto the skyscraper. Katsuyu herself reformed into her full form and began to slither forward at full speed and launched herself into the air right at the Nanabi. The biju contemptuously avoided the massive slug by flying up, then it spun around and sent a flurry of wind blades right at Katsuyu.

The slug split again and avoided each and every wind blade and the Biju gave a loud, frustrated roar which managed to blow away Katsuyu's clones. They began reforming in a longer formation as they withstood the roar's shockwave and Tsunade leaped to make her move.

"Kage Bushin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)!" Tsunade said as she leaped into the air and created a clone next to her which jumped up from her shoulders and sent her flying down towards the Nanabi's tail.

The Nanabi was so distracted by Katsuyu it didn't see the Sannin's clone doing several seals and she squeezed her hand into a tight fist. "Raiton: Ikazuchi Ryu (Lightning Release: Thunder Fist)!" she yelled and her fist was engulfed by lightning.

Just as the Nanabi was about to notice her she smashed her fist right into the Biju's chin. The force of the blow sent the Biju's head flying up...and the electricity that was forced into its body from the punch temporarily inflicted paralysis. The real Tsunade controlled her fall thanks to Katsuyu and grabbed the Nanabi's balancing tail.

"NOW KATSUYU!" Tsunade yelled as the rest of the Katsuyu extended up and reformed right at the Sannin's legs using the Betabeta no Jutsu (Sticky Technique). _Using Katsuyu's weight, I'll pull the Nanabi right out of the air while it's still paralyzed from the Ikazuchi Ryu. Then I'll slam it down a few times to rip it off...!_

The Nanabi howled in surprise as it was dragged right down to the ground by Tsunade and Katsuyu, the Sannin's clone bursting away in a puff of smoke. The Sannin landed with her slug summon supporting her, the impact on the ground causing everything to shake and crack from the minor earthquake due to the weight from both Katsuyu and the Nanabi.

Tsunade then _yelled_ and lifted the Biju up by the tail again as Katsuyu detached herself from the Sannin. She lifted the Nanabi up and over her shoulder and smashed it to the ground belly first before she lifted it up again and slammed it onto its back. Each impact shook the entire village of Amegakure and got the attention of Madara,Gaara, and Konan who were still kilometers out.

"Take...this...and...this...and THIS!" Tsunade yelled as she smashed the Nanabi around like a ragdoll again and again and she heard each and every crack and splinter of the Biju's exoskeleton. _Just a few __more...and the tail..._

Despite the paralysis of its body, the Nanabi began gathering the black and white chakra at its mouth as Tsunade smashed it again face first. She leaped up, feeling the tail being weakened more from all the strain and she gave one more tug as the Nanabi landed flat on its back again. The impact sent her up even higher as she leaped...and the stabilizing tail was ripped right off in a sickening crunch. The Nanabi roared in pain and fired of its fully formed Bijudama right at Tsunade.

Katsuyu reacted quickly, grabbing the Sannin in time to get her mostly lifted above the Bijudama...but Tsunade cried out in pain as her legs right above her knees were melted off by the heat and power of the attack. The Bijudama flew into the sky then, exploding with such force the rains that had been drenching the village were completely banished, fresh sunlight began shining through.

"Tsunade-sama!" Katsuyu yelled in surprise.

"Just give me...a second..." Tsunade said as she purposely cut open the cauterized wounds on her leg stumps with a Chakura no Mesu (Chakra Scalpel) and they began to regenerate. In just a few seconds the Sannin's legs had completely regrown and Katsuyu put her down gently. "We won..."

Tsunade panted for a little bit as the Nanabi exploded away in a puff of smoke, too damaged to continue the battle. She dropped on one knee and breathed in an out, there had been nothing which had taxed her regeneration like the Nanabi had. Deactivating Sōzō Saisei, the Yin Fuin reappeared on her forehead but she didn't transform back to her true age.

"Time to heal Konan," Tsunade said after a few moments and she rose to her feet. "Katsuyu, you can return back now."

"As you wish, my lady," Katsuyu said as she vanished in a puff of smoke.

Tsunade looked around the battlefield, nearly three quarters of Amegakure had been demolished by the Nanabi's rampage and her fight with it. Smoke rose from the ruins, and the few buildings that still stood near the epicenter were melting from Katsuyu's acid. She breathed out, the scene was very similar to the condition Pain had reduced Konoha too.

_Were the civilians able to get to their shelters in time...?_ Tsunade thought as she made a seal. Due to being part Uzumaki, she had inherited a bit of their sensory abilities. It had enabled her to find injured and dying people when Konoha was under attack by Pain and heal them. She sensed a large mass of people outside and under the village, hiding in the battle shelters. _Thank goodness, Konan will be happy about this..._

Back where Gaara was still fighting off Madara, the Kazekage had his sand in its full shield and had caught several huge shuriken with it that the Uchiha had launched using his Kamui technique. Madara's eye shot towards Amegakure, seeing the smoke rising from the village yet the Nanabi was nowhere in sight. His eye narrowed and he squeezed his hand into a tight fist.

"I guess I shouldn't have underestimated Tsunade...but I believe I can't stay here and play for much longer, Kazekage," Madara's Kamui activated and pulled himself into his eye. "I got what I came from, it was a good workout."

"Suna Shuriken Rendan (Sand Shuriken Shower)!" Gaara went, firing off several shuriken made of sand from his shield at Madara, but it was too late...he had vanished right into his eye.

Konan breathed in and out, her eyes narrowed. "With that...technique...he'll reach where Nagato is interred and disappear before we can even get there...damn it..."

Gaara knelt by her. "Don't push yourself too hard, you fought well against him despite his power."

"Thank you, Kazekage..." Konan said as she closed her eyes. "And forgive me for what I did to you when I was part of Akatsuki."

"There's no need," Gaara said as he stood up. "You've already redeemed yourself in my eyes, I'm sure Naruto'll be glad to hear about this fight."

Under the Smiling God Tower, which had been relatively untouched by the massive battle that had raged in the village, Madara reappeared. He noticed all the origami flower bouquets and resting right on a bed of white roses were the bodies of Nagato and Yahiko. Yahiko looked like he had been put asleep, and all the chakra rods from his time as Nagato's Deva Path had been removed. Nagato though...his eyes...his Rinnegan were still open and the smile he died with was still present, and his normally red hair was now as white as freshly fallen snow.

"You have definitely become the Sandaime Rikudo. It was said that later in life, when he reached the full extent of his abilities the Rikudo himself had white hair..." Madara said, and he noticed Nagato's deathly smirk. "Even in death, you _mock_ me..."

He put his hand on Nagato's body...and warped him into his eye with Kamui. He glanced at Yahiko, briefly debating if he should take it as well to get his pair of Rinnegan, but decided against it. He needed to implant Nagato's eye into the one he sacrificed for Izanagi, as well as heal himself after the extremely difficult battle with Konan. With that, he disappeared into his own eye and left the imprint of Nagato's body in the flower bed.

**Island Turtle, mid-air en route to Land of Lightning**

After the attack by Kabuto and his Edo Tensei, Deidara and Hanzo, it had been decided by Naruto, Mei, and Onoki to relocate the island back near Kumogakure for added security. The plan was for an additional, stronger barrier network to be set up around the island to provide an added defense if another attack was launched. Tenko glanced down from the flank of the Turtle, his eyes wide and he grinned.

"Damn, I can't believe that old man is lifting this entire thing!" Tenko said as Hinata and Naruto came over. Naruto was still training in his Nine-Tailed Chakra Mode, the chakra flickering around him.

Naruto grinned. "I've never been so high up!" he grinned at Hinata. "Have you Hinata-chan?"

"No, I haven't...its quite incredible..."

Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi then flew up, carrying some folded clothes as well as a new headband. They also had orders of the divisions that Hinata and Tenko were assigned in. The Iwa Kunoichi grinned as she landed and stretched after she put the flak jacket, shirt, and pants down.

"Man, everything seems to be almost finished at Kumo! I've never seen so many ninja before in my life!" Kurotsuchi exclaimed with a grin. "Oh, Hinata right?!"

Hinata nodded. "Yes...that's me..."

"We've been assigned to the same Division, the Second!" Kurotsuchi said happily as she lifted the clothes up for Hinata. "After you change, lets hang out together before we arrive at Kumo, at the pace Gramps is flying we won't arrive in Kumo for another 48 hours!"

"Oh, I see," Hinata said as she blinked, taking the uniform from Kurotsuchi. "Thank you, and sure."

Tenko grinned. "Where am I assigned?"

"First Division!" Akatsuchi said with a grin. "Under General Darui, I've been assigned to General Gaara's Fourth Division!"

Tenko grinned. "That's great!" _Maybe I'll have time to talk with mom before hand...I haven't seen her in a while..._

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "I hope you guys do okay on the front lines while I'm here..."

Hinata blushed a bit. "We'll...we'll win this war Naruto-kun. You don't have to worry!"

"That's right! If the enemy doesn't know where you are, we can probably end this War with minimum casualties too!" Tenko added and Naruto breathed out.

"Right...I guess...for now...I should really just master this power..." Naruto said as he looked determinedly. "So if I do have to go on the field, I can be of help!"

Tenko grinned. "By the time you're in the War, I'll have fully mastered Sage Mode, you won't be the only perfect Sage around!"

"Oh I'll really like to see that!" Naruto said enthusiastically and he put his hands behind his head as Bee walked over.

"Yo Naruto we still have training to do!" Bee said as he moved his fingers around. "Big black ball creation is the nation of the Biju's ultimate attack jack! Gotta start on that, so lets head back!"

Naruto blinked. "Okay, right! Lead the way Bee!"

"Wait!" Tenko said with a grin. "I completed the jutsu you taught me, Naruto!"

With that, chakra swirled at the center of Tenko's palm and formed into a solid, rotating ball and Naruto grinned widely. "That's awesome Tenko!"

"I've done it too Naruto-kun..." Hinata said as she held open her own hand and the Rasengan swirled to life over it. "...I feel I got stronger because of it, thank you for teaching it to me."

Naruto hugged her tightly at that and patted Tenko's back. "Man I wish I could teach you how to add your elements to your Rasengans or make them bigger!"

"Adding our elements?" Tenko asked and he looked at Naruto in confusion.

"Well the Rasengan is designed for the element of the user to be incorporated into it..." Naruto exited his Nine-Tailed Chakra Mode and stood still for a second to enter Sage Mode. He then created three clones to show the process, first creating the Rasengan, and then he had the clones add their wind chakra to it and the wind blades spinning around the sides grew and created a large, fuma shuriken size attack. "And this would be the final product I made...the Futon: Rasenshuriken!"

"Holy crap!" Tenko yelled as he jumped back and saw the Rasenshuriken for the first time. "But...I'm not a Futon element..."

"Well...you'd have to add your own...like Ero-sennin you're a Katon and Doton right?"

"Right!" Tenko said with a grin. "I'll work on getting my Katon into my Rasengan! I'll show you the results!"

Naruto gave a wide grin at that as he gave a thumb's up to Tenko. Hinata was dragged off by Kurotsuchi before she could say anything more, the Iwa Kunoichi talking happily with her about things in Iwa and the upcoming War. Naruto himself was led back to the Tailed Beast Temple underneath the Falls of Truth by Bee so that they could continue training. Tenko himself started listing off things he had to complete so he could catch up with his friend.

In the Tailed Beast Temple, Bee lead Naruto to one of the other chambers. He had the young Hokage reach in a Hachibi head carving and hit the button that would open up the large room. When that was done, the two walked in into yet another pure white space in the area. Naruto looked around as Bee grinned.

"Alright Naruto its time to learn the Biju's most powerful jutsu: the Bijudama!" Bee said as he fully transformed into the Hachibi's full form. Naruto's jaw lowered, seeing the full transformation for the first time as the absolutely giant ox-octopus looked down at him. "First off get into your Chakra Mode, Naruto!"

Naruto nodded. "Right!" he pushed his palms together and entered his Nine-Tailed Chakra Mode, the chakra dancing around his body like flames. "Now what?"

"Now push all that chakra out, and you'll assume the full fox form about!" Bee replied in a rap.

"Alright..." Naruto said as he focused. "Push the chakra out...form the Fox...lets SEE!"

Naruto's Chakra Mode flared around him as his body took a more fox like appearance. In a burst of smoke, Bee looked intently and expected a massive fox with nine tails to be standing in front of him. However...when the smoke cleared there was a..._tiny_ red fox with nine tails, and the form still had Naruto's blonde hair on top.

"...that's...not what I expected."

The form puffed away as Naruto fell on his butt and panted. "That...took a lot of chakra...I wonder what was wrong..."

**Bee, let me take over,** the Hachibi said as Bee nodded. "Alright Naruto, Number Eight wants to talk with ya!"

"Uh...okay..." Naruto said as he wiped the sweat off his forehead from the attempted transformation.

"**Alright Naruto, I think I know the problem...you and the Kyubi aren't synced. If that doesn't happen, you can't fully transform like me and Bee**," the Hachibi explained as he crouched down and got eye level with Naruto. "**Until that happens, I think fully transforming is out of the question.**"

"...that does make sense...but I kind of left him in a bad mood when I beat him..." Naruto said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"**That also means you may be unable to use the Bijudama at this point,**" the Hachibi continued as the young Hokage gave a nod.

"...how exactly does a Bijudama work anyway? I've seen the Kyubi do it...and I think when I blacked out and the Fox taking over had me do it too," Naruto asked.

"**Well, if you noticed, the Bijudama is created from chakra only the Biju know how to use. Its called Black and White Chakra. When we gather it, we form it into a dense ball that focuses above our mouths. Said ball is a ratio of 8:2-black and white respectively. When formed...we have the choice of either swallowing it to compress it more, fire it as a wave blast, or fire it as the uncompressed ball itself. The last choice is often the most powerful,**" the Hachibi explained as Naruto nodded.

"So...basically...dense ball formed of that black and white chakra...what does the 8:2 ratio feel like...do you just know when it happens?" Naruto asked and the Hachibi thought about it.

"**Yes, basically. Though it blew up quite a few times in Bee's face before he got it down,**" the Hachibi replied.

"...if I can do it in the tailed forms that Kyubi put me in, I should be able to do it in Chakra Mode!"

"**One more thing about your Chakra Mode, Naruto. Unlike your V1 state, the Kyubi will consume your chakra while you're in Nine-Tailed Chakra Mode. So you have to be careful on how long you stay in it,**" the Hachibi warned and the young Hokage blinked. "**If Kyubi consumes it all, you'll die. And if you use Kage Bushins in that form it'll speed up the rate of consumption.**"

Naruto crossed his legs as he thought, digesting that. "...of course...it wouldn't be without risks..." but then he smirked. "It hasn't been the first time I have faced them, and gotten around them!"

"**...well that's an attitude towards it, I suppose...**"

"Hey...uh Hachibi...can I ask another question?"

"**Well what is it?**"

"...should I call you Hachibi...Number Eight...or something else?" Naruto asked him. "Just...kind of feels weird calling you by your tails..."

The Hachibi blinked at that, but actually smirked. "**Gyuki. Just call me Gyuki if you want then Naruto. Told Bee but he says 'Number Eight rhymes better'**."

Naruto grinned. "Alright Gyuki!" he then put his hand to his chin. "...should I continue to call Kyubi, Kyubi then?"

"**Well his real name is Kurama, but I bet he'd be pissed off if you knew that...**" Gyuki replied and he sighed as he heard an angry '_**You stupid ox!**_' in his head. "**Called it.**"

"...wait...you can hear him even though we're not doing that fist-bump thing that Bee does?"

"**All Biju share a telepathy that's undetectable to the rest of the world. Not even a Yamanaka can pick it up,**" Gyuki explained and the young Hokage nodded.

"Right...okay then...I'll get started on trying to get the Bijudama in my Chakra Mode down!" Naruto announced and he grinned.

His Chakra Mode flared up and he put his hands near his seal instinctively. He tried to gather the black and white chakra...some began to appear but quickly fizzled out and he blinked. Naruto tried again, this time he used his chakra arms to began pulling more and more of the black and white chakra he created and a small ball began forming. Like the Rasengan...he began to spin the chakra but it burst after the ground cracked and splintered under his feet and he was sent flying back. Gyuki blinked in surprise as Naruto winced and lifted up his hands which started to sizzle.

"Ow..."

"**Naruto...what were you trying to do when you added the rotation?**"

"Oh...I saw it was starting to destabilize when it began forming a ball...and thought that the Rasengan can keep the chakra spinning inside..."

_Yo Eight, let me say something before its too late!_ Gyuki stepped back in their mind as Bee's voice boomed out. "Naruto yo, where'd you learn that bro?"

"...Ero-Sennin taught it to me...though he learned the Rasengan from my dad, the Yondaime Hokage," Naruto said as Bee pictured it...and he grinned.

Even in Gyuki's massive form, Bee began...trembling. _Yondaime Hokage...I can't believe he actually did it..._

"Bee?"

"That attack...it was designed like the Bijudama itself!" Bee exclaimed with a grin. "That Hokage, I can't believe he actually pulled it off! The Rasengan is just a human level Bijudama!"

Naruto's eyes widened, and he grinned. "If that's the case...I'm gonna get the Bijudama down for sure!"

"And we'll work on getting the rest of your attacks ready to be used in this form too!" Bee said with a grin. "When we enter the War, Akatsuki won't know what to do!"

"RIGHT!"

For the rest of the day, Naruto trained with Killer Bee as Hinata and Tenko got on their uniforms for the Allied Shinobi Forces. Both of them also started training as well, Tenko immediately attempted to try to get his element into his Rasengan while Hinata worked on mastering both the Rasengan and Rasenyari in combat.

Hinata darted around the imaginary enemies, a Rasengan in one hand and a Rasenyari in the other as she dodged an imaginary attack and thrusts her Rasenyari forward like a drilling spear. She then dodged another attack and slammed her Rasengan into the attacker's face, her Byakugan tracked each target and she finished off the last with her Rasengan which she used to smash into the target's face.

Tenko, meanwhile had created three clones and he was attempting to get his Katon element into his Rasengan. Already, he was surrounded by craters and covered in dust and dirt from his attempts. He breathed in and out, trying again as he had his hand out and he began to create the Rasengan again. A Rasengan swirled to life in his palm and the clones began breathing flames around it and spinning it into the ball. But then it blew up, and Tenko was sent flying back and his clones were dispelled. He groaned and rubbed his head.

"Damn it, what am I doing wrong?!" Tenko yelled as smoke wafted off his palm. "Ow..."

Kurotsuchi was watching both. "Wow, the Hokage's training, and Hinata and Tenko too..." she grinned. "They're really..." Tenko was trying again after making three more clones with the Kage Bushin technique and his attempt made another explosion in his face. "...getting ready for the battles ahead!"

Hinata jumped near a tree, and avoided another imaginary enemy and she spun and drilled through said tree like their was an enemy there, and the tree shuttered and fell. She panted and she turned off her techniques and wiped her forehead.

"Hey Hinata, Tenko, want to go get something to eat?" Kurotsuchi asked as she jumped down. "We won't be back at Kumo for a while so come on!"

From yet another crater, Tenko yelled. "Give me a bit more time, I think I'll be onto getting this down then!"

"Sure...training too much before a War doesn't sound like a smart thing to do," Hinata said with a smile and walked over to Kurotsuchi.

They were shortly at Bee's house on the Island Turtle, having some onigiri and dimsum to eat. Kurotsuchi grinned at Hinata as she slowly bit into her dimsum, the pork bun tasting really good to her.

"So Hinata, what's your relationship with the Hokage?"

Hinata nearly choked, grabbing the tea she had and drinking it. "Uh...well...we're...together..." her cheeks were flushed deeply. "...basically..."

"Oho! Shame, he's real cute! I'd have loved to be with him!" Kurotsuchi said with a grin. "You planning on being with him before you head out? Might be a long time till you next see him..."

Hinata flushed at that. _I...suppose that's true...but what should I do...?_

Kurotsuchi slapped her back. "Well, I'm gonna go explore this island more, see ya later Hinata-chan!"

After more training, Naruto had left the Temple and wiped his forehead. The sun began to set, and his stomach started to growl. He grinned, and put his hands behind his head as he went back to Bee's while the Gyuki Jinchuriki went to check on his animal friends.

"Man, I wonder if Bee has some good ramen here..." Naruto wondered aloud as he jumped through the trees, heading back to Bee's house.

When Naruto had gotten there he smelt something very good in the kitchen and dining room. His mouth began watering as his stomach grumbled again. Kicking off his sandals he rushed in seeing Hinata already there, her cheeks were covered in a light blush and she was wearing an apron over her ninja uniform.

"Hello...Naruto-kun..." Hinata said as she breathed in and out.

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto exclaimed with a grin as he went over to her. "Man, what smells so good?!"

"I'm...cooking...I have ramen, rice, and even sushi prepared for..._us_...to eat..." Hinata said, her cheeks still bearing the twinge.

Naruto hugged her tightly while he grinned. "Thank you Hinata-chan, it smells great!"

Hinata fought off a blush as the two separated and she went to get the food. She put the rice container on the table, as well as the pot of ramen under a little burner on it too. Sushi and other dishes were also laid onto the table as Naruto's stomach continued to growl. Finally Hinata put the dessert-a bunch of homemade onigiri right onto the table.

"Lets...dig in shall we?" Hinata asked.

"Sure!" Naruto replied as his grin widened and the two took a seat across from her.

The two talked while eating, the Hyuga Heiress having took off her apron since she had finished cooking. They were telling each other about their training and wondered about things in Konoha at the moment. When both Hinata and Naruto were on their fifth bowl of the ramen, it began to sink in they wouldn't be able to see each other for a while.

"...you'll be...safe out there right Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked her. "You're strong...I know that but...it's war right...?"

"Yes...I'll be safe out there...I'm not fighting alone Naruto-kun..." Hinata said as she breathed out and finished her bowl.

He finished his bowl and walked over to her and put his hand on her's. "You'll be okay...I know it...you're smart unlike me Hinata-chan. You even saved me during Pain's attack..."

Hinata looked up at him, her cheeks flushed again as he leaned in closer. She grasped his hand tightly...and in a moment of courage she leaned up and gently pushed her lips against his. The kiss lingered as the two wrapped their arms around each other. Naruto reached up...feeling Hinata's cheek tenderly as they kissed slowly.

Their kiss lingered for one minute...two...then three before they separated breathlessly. Naruto felt Hinata's cheek which was flushed even more as they kissed again and hugged each other close. The two then slowly began kissing again, and Hinata closed her eyes and savored it. When they broke off, taking deep breaths as they smiled at each other.

"We'll...see each other again...Naruto-kun..." Hinata said as Naruto gently pushed his forehead against her's. "I know it..."

"I know it too..." Naruto said happily.

The two held onto each other gently as they enjoyed the warmth that radiated off each other's bodies. They returned to the couch in the main room and Hinata cuddled against Naruto, her eyes slowly drifting off to sleep as the young Hokage held onto her. He looked up at the ceiling, and squeezed his hands tightly.

_I swear Hinata-chan...I'll see you again...as well as the rest of my friends...don't any of you **dare** die out there! If you do I'll beat the crap out of you!_ Naruto thought as he punched the air. _...I just have to...master my new power. And then I'll kick the crap out of Madara just like my dad did. _

Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi were about to walk in when the Iwa Kunoichi peeked in and giggled. "Lets leave the two love birds alone for a bit more, Akatsuchi..."

"But Kurotsuchi I'm hungry..." he said in a pleading whisper.

"We'll catch a deer or something and camp out like we did when we were training for the Chunin exams, so come on!" Kurotsuchi said in a harsh whisper.

Kurotsuchi dragged her whining teammate away before they could disturb Hinata and Naruto. The two were wrapped up in their own little world at the moment, the young Hokage wrapped his arms protectively around his girlfriend. The Hyuga Heiress nuzzled him, still fast asleep.

**Mountain's Grave**

Both Madara and Kabuto arrived back at the base at roughly the same time. The Akatsuki mastermind dropped to his knee's, using his Kamui to warp Nagato's corpse out of his dimension. His wounds were already closing up, but he had expended a massive amount of chakra and panted slightly. White Zetsu rose out of the ground, his yellow eye blinked seeing Madara in such a state.

"Damn Tobi, I haven't seen you that messed up...at all before!" White Zetsu exclaimed as Madara glanced at him.

"Konan was a more powerful opponent than I had anticipated," Madara said simply. "Though it doesn't matter anymore. I got what I needed."

"Well...got the stuff you wanted. The new mask, cloak, and your fan too!" Zetsu said as the Uchiha nodded.

"Good," Madara said as he frowned. "Was Kabuto successful in his task?"

"...well...yes and no...he wasn't able to get either Jinchuriki but he said he has something that can empower our troops," Zetsu replied as he rubbed the back of his head.

Madara nodded and he put his hand to his chin. "And how is Sasuke's recovery, when should we expect his eyes to be ready?"

"From the look of it, about a month. But he's still...training. Even though he's blind," Zetsu replied. "His two teammates had the advantage at the start...but Sasuke's quickly adapted. Now Jugo and Suigetsu end up as heaps on the ground whenever they face him."

"Seems like he's learning to trust his other senses besides his eyes, good," Madara said as he dragged Nagato's corpse to the lab. "Prepare a new arm for me too, I'll get Nagato's Rinnegan right into my socket..."

"Are you sure you can handle that thing Tobi? It took years for Nagato to master those eyes right?"

"I don't have much choice," Madara said bitterly. "At best I'll get complete control over the Gedo Mazo statue, and gain the Gedo ability. It'll be enough for the War if I fight strategically."

Zetsu nodded. "Right boss. Should I tell Black Zetsu to get ready for a fight?"

"Yes," Madara replied as he entered his lab. "Make sure we're all ready for war."

"Right!"

Kabuto in the meantime was hooking the unconscious Yamato up to the Zetsu Flower, right under Senju Hashirama's clone. The kick that he had received from Tenko was regenerating and Manda II would be able to fight again in a few days. He cursed himself for not researching the garrison of the Island Turtle more thoroughly when he first arrived. But either way, he had achieved the objective...and had extracted a bit more of Hashirama's DNA from Yamato. Just enough for his purposes...

White Zetsu appeared, slowly appearing from the ceiling. "You almost done there? Tobi's back."

"Bout time, for a bit I thought he had been killed," Kabuto said as he used his middle finger to push his glasses back up. "I've finished getting Yamato hooked up, the changes to the army should become visible soon."

"He'll be happy to hear about that..." Zetsu said.

Kabuto smirked at that and straightened out his hood. _At least Madara didn't learn of my true appearance, nor did he learn about my special poison for Mokuton users..._

At the same time in the compound, Jugo was giving a loud roar, his arm changed into a massive ax as he leaped at Sasuke. The blind Uchiha idly dodged and ducked each slash and punch and gave Suigetsu the signal to join in the attack. The swordsman charged, swinging the Kubikiribocho overhead in a vertical slash silently but Sasuke managed to dodge and pulled out his chokuto Kusanagi sword and slashed upwards and blocked an attack from Jugo simultaneously.

_Grr even blind we can't even touch him!_ Suigetsu thought bitterly as he swung vertically at Sasuke who jumped over the slash and lanced a solid kick in the swordsman's face.

"You need to work on yourSairento Kiringu Jutsu (Silent Killing Technique) if you want to surpass Zabuza, Suigetsu," Sasuke said nonchalantly as he elbowed a Jugo as he charged right at him, Suigetsu's face exploding into a torrent of water which quickly reformed.

"You're even more annoying now Sasuke!"

Sasuke had a smirk. _Next time I face you Naruto, I won't go so easy on you!_ Just as Jugo was about to make another attack alongside Suigetsu, there was the sound of chirping birds around the last Uchiha and bolts of lightning arced right off his body. "Chidori Nagashi (Chidori Current)!"

The lightning attack passed through both Jugo and Suigetsu's bodies and they crashed back to opposite sides of the room. Jugo groaned, his Sennika (Sage Transformation) receded as he put his hand into his orange hair. Suigetsu had been reduced to a jelly-like state from the force of the Chidori Nagashi and he tried to reform despite being shocked.

"Damn it...Sasuke...do you have to attack like that so hard?!" Suigetsu snarled as he pulled his body back together. "It'll take a bit for me to reform...!"

"I need to keep my skills honed Suigetsu. We'll go again when you're reform and remember, don't hold ANYTHING back."

_...I'm starting to think Karin had the right idea by ditching him..._ Suigetsu thought bitterly his arms resumed their normal shape and texture.

**Kumogakure, Allied Shinobi Forces Main Camp**

Onoki had arrived in the early morning and put the Island Turtle back down in the harbor near Kumogakure. A was there to greet the Tsuchikage and Mizukage while Hinata, Tenko, Gai, Aoba, Akatsuchi, and Kurotsuchi made their way off the Island Turtle to join their Divisions as Mei and Onoki made their way to the Raikage. He had his hands folded behind his back, and was flanked by two bodyguards.

"Akatsuki was able to retrieve the Rinnegan," A said as he grumbled. "Despite our best efforts. The only thing that came out of it was the Hokage managed to defeat Madara's new attack dog, the Nanabi. Konan is recovering from her injuries in Kumogakure hospital, and Tsunade has recovered from the damage she sustained from the Nanabi."

"...that's something at least," Mei said as she breathed out.

"And as you know, Kabuto's raid kidnapped the Mokuton using ANBU codenamed Yamato," Onoki added as stretched his back. "Things have become even more dire."

"There is some good news though," Mei said as she looked at A. "The young Hokage has managed to get the Kyubi's power under control, from what Motoi-san told us the speed he gained in that form is pretty incredible as well as the attack power."

A nodded. "That makes sense...I assume my brother is continuing to train him?"

"Yes, I believe I overheard them talking about mastering the Bijudama," Mei said and the Raikage gave another nod.

"Good," A said as he glanced around. "We'll begin preparations to get the divisions on the move."

The other two Kage nodded in affirmative as the lower ranked ninja finally made it to the main camp. Tenko's and Hinata's jaws both hit the floor seeing the tens of thousands of shinobi and samurai from all over the Five Great Nations working together to get organized. They hadn't seen this many ninja in one place in their entire lives. There were civilian vendors from not only Kumogakure there, but Konohagakure, Kirigakure, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure. Several hundred blacksmiths were working around the clock to make as many shuriken, kunai, swords, and other weapons to be sure the army was well supplied, the sound of metal being bashed and hammered out was heard throughout the camp.

"Pretty amazing isn't it?" Kurotsuchi asked with a cheeky grin. "A force like this hasn't been seen in centuries, no when else in history have shinobi been so united!" Just as she finished saying that, a small fight broke out between a Suna ninja and a Iwa ninja which was broken up by a Kumo ninja. "...most of the time."

"Wow..." Tenko said as he looked around...several pretty women in the area caught his eye. "Heh...well...I'll see you guys later, gonna explore around a bit before I get to my Division!"

Tenko ran off, grinning a bit lecherously as a sweat drop began appearing behind Hinata's head. She chuckled weakly. _Well...he is Jiraiya-sama's son...guess they aren't too far away on the family tree..._

"I don't think we'll be mobilizing for a bit, but I bet the rest of your friends are here Hinata-chan, probably should check up on them!" Kurotsuchi suggested.

Hinata nodded. "That does sound like an idea..."

Kurotsuchi grinned and waved, walking off as Akatsuchi went to one of the vendors on the edge of the giant camp. Hinata nodded to herself and walked right towards the center of the giant camp and began looking around. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Haruno Sakura dressed in the same uniform she was and was helping carry some huge boxes to the medical supply tents.

"Sakura-chan!" Hinata said and she ran over to her.

"Oh Hinata-chan!" Sakura said and she turned to her friend from Team Kurenai. "I didn't know you'd be assigned to the front line divisions!"

"I just...got back here...Naruto-kun's training is going well and I learned the Rasengan," Hinata said and she noticed...the diamond shaped mark.

Sakura grinned proudly. "I was training myself, with Kakashi-sensei. And even though Tsunade-shisho was busy I was able to work out and master Sōzō Saisei just a week ago!"

Hinata smiled. "That's incredible, Sakura-chan."

The two walked to the medical tents and the pink-haired kunoichi put the box of supplies down and put her hands onto her back and stretched. She rotated her shoulder and smiled at Hinata.

"So what division were you assigned to be in Hinata-chan?"

"Second Division, the Close Combat centered one. You?"

"Third Division under Kakashi-sensei," Sakura replied and she grinned. "Rock Lee's also in the division with Gai-sensei."

"I hope Gai-sensei's recovered from his battle with the Akatsuki member Hoshigaki Kisame," Hinata said as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Wait...Akatsuki attacked the turtle? How?"

"Kisame had smuggled himself in by hiding inside Bee-san's new sword Samehada," Hinata replied and the pink-haired kunoichi nodded.

"...you were lucky Hinata-chan, he was REALLY strong...even that clone that Team Gai fought struggled to beat him."

"He still got away though, Tsuchikage-sama had to move the Turtle back to the village to throw Akatsuki's tracking off," Hinata said.

"Well...did Naruto manage to do it? Get control of the Fox's chakra?" Sakura asked and the Hyuga gave an affirmative nod.

"Yep, the abilities he got...he's just so _fast_ in that form...everything seems to be in slow motion for him. And he can use those chakra arms for enhanced dexterity and everything," Hinata replied as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Hey Hinata! Been a while!" the familiar voice of Inuzuka Kiba said as he rode over on his giant Ninken Akamaru. On his back were two new blades that Hinata could see were new. "Heh, Akamaru said you smell a bit stronger! And you kind of look more confident, all that time with Naruto did ya good!"

Hinata blushed a little bit and she poked her fingers together bashfully. "Not really...that much Kiba-kun..."

"Heh, same ol'Hinata!" Kiba said happily as Akamaru barked and went over and nuzzled her and Sakura.

"Hinata wouldn't be the same if she wasn't shy every once and a while," Hinata looked up as a swarm of Kikai Insects descended to the ground before they coalesced and formed into her teammate Aburame Shino. "Though I am curious of Naruto's growth as well."

_Pfft there he goes with that new Mushi Ido no Jutsu (Insect Traveling Technique)..._ Kiba thought as he crossed his arms.

"Shino-kun, its good to see you," Hinata said with a smile as she scratched behind Akamaru's ear. "I haven't seen that jutsu before..."

"Its a new one I completed while you were away, Hinata," Shino said as he pushed his small black sunglasses up. "I trust your own training has gone well?"

Hinata nodded as Team Asuma came walking over. Shikamaru lifted his hand and waved. "Hey Hinata, been a while," there was a little beard growing at his chin now.

"Shikamaru here's been made the Proxy General of the Fourth Division," Ino said with a grin. She looked mostly the same though was carrying a bundle on her back, and her signature bang was moved out of the direction of her eye by a new hair-clip. "The only thing I think he likes about it is that he gets to hang around with Temari!"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes as Choji finished his bag of barbecue chips. "I don't think loud girls are really Shikamaru's type, Ino," he said with a grin. He was wearing a Konoha Flak Jacket unzipped over his normal Akimichi armor, and on his back he was carrying a bo staff. "And its great seeing ya again Hinata!"

The Hyuga Heiress gave a nod and a smile at that as she looked up, seeing her cousin Hyuga Neji walking over with his teammates Tenten and Rock Lee. "Hello Hinata-sama, I trust you're well?"

"Yes I am, Neji-nii-san," Hinata replied and she blinked, Neji's hair was now shoulder length instead of down his back. "You cut your hair?"

"Yes, so make it less likely that the enemy could grab it and use it against me," Neji replied with a nod.

Tenten grinned. "Heh, I think its because he kept having recurring nightmares of Lee putting him in women's clothing for skits or something!" On the weapon mistress's back she was wearing another large scroll over her normal weapon one.

"Yosh! I'd never do that!" Rock Lee was the same as ever...completely unchanged except for the Alliance Headband he was now wearing.

"...that...still doesn't make me feel better," Neji said after a moment and his friends and teammates laughed at that.

Kiba grinned. "Since this is probably going to be the last day before the War, I say tonight we head to Kumo to throw a little party!"

"Oh yeah! They got some really good barbecue places here!" Choji said as everyone nodded and agreed to head into the village. "Barbecue, barbecue, barbecue!"

Shikamaru grinned. "That means you'll handle the bill this time, Choji."

"WHAT?" Choji yelled and waved his arms around as they all laughed.

"How about we _all_ pay our share then?" Tenten asked and they all nodded, the Akimichi's forehead immediately stopped sweating at the prospect of paying for everyone's meal.

With that, the group headed off to Kumo for one last night of fun. They all laughed and joked and tried to put off that they'd be in their first real War. Hinata then stopped.

"Wait, there's someone else that should go with us," she activated her Byakugan and located Tenko. "Just give me a second."

Hinata then used a Shunshin no Jutsu to appear near Tenko who was laughing and rubbing the back of his head after being shot down after he had asked one of the Kumo Jonin kunoichi's, a blond haired one with a rather full figure out. The Hyuga Heiress deadpanned as she noticed more similarities between him and his father Jiraiya.

"Oh hey Hinata!" Tenko said with a grin. "What brings you to find me?!"

"Well...I was thinking you could come with me and the rest of my friends for a dinner tonight, we were all planning on heading out now."

"Sure!" Tenko replied, his grin widened after hearing that. "Sounds fun!"

Hinata smiled. "Great, follow me."

"For what?" Tenko asked.

"Meeting the rest of Naruto-kun's friends and teammates, of course," Hinata replied with a smile. "We're all heading out to eat tonight before the War begins."

"That sounds great!" Tenko exclaimed and he grinned wider. _Wonder if there are other pretty girls than Hinata that are in Naruto's class..._

Soon, she and Tenko arrived back with the others and introductions were made. Ino and Sakura caught his eye...and...the pink haired kunoichi started to flush for some reason she couldn't identify. Choji, Rock Lee, and Kiba hit it right off with him, though Shikamaru had to cover Tenko's mouth when he almost called Choji 'fat' in a joking way. After that near disaster, the group walked to the village to have one last night just partying together and having fun before the War.

**Mountain's Grave**

Madara's wounds were now healed...he had to hook up to Hashirama's Clone directly to accelerate the healing. In the eye he sacrificed for Izanagi, he had one of Nagato's Rinnegan. While the shadows still covered his face he eased his new mask onto his face and secured it tightly. He stood up and eased his old, but repainted armor onto his body before he grasped his gunbai. White Zetsu rose from the ground and Madara's Sharingan eye glanced at him.

"The Army is all ready, all 100,000 White Zetsu have armed themselves with Mokuton weaponry and weapons, as well the enhancements Kabuto made are noticeable," White Zetsu said as he leaned back. "I tried putting spores on Kabuto like you instructed. They didn't take."

Madara frowned. "That's going to be a problem...has Kabuto at least finished his own army for us?"

"Yep...how long until Sasuke is ready to fight, Madara?"

"...from his recovery, I'd say a month," Madara replied as he walked out to the main area of the hideout.

Kabuto was already waiting, dressed in the same cloak Madara was familiar with. And all around them...were dozens of coffins. Kisame was also there and he looked oddly subdued as he saw all of the Edo Tensei. Orochimaru's former assistant grinned and looked at Madara.

"Glad you could join us, I'm finished," he glanced. "First up...the late members of Akatsuki..." From the first six coffins, their doors slammed open as Yahiko, Nagato, Uchiha Itachi, Sasori of the Red Sand, Kakuzu, and Deidara all stepped out. "Then the late Kages..." From the next set of coffins, the Nidaime Tsuchikage, the Nidaime Mizukage, the Sandaime Raikage, the Yondaime Kazekage, Sandaime Kazekage, Shodaime Mizukage, Shodaime Raikage, Shodaime Tsuchikage, and the Shodaime Kazekage all stepped forward. "Then assorted famous Shinobi from all over the world..."

Uchiha Fugaku, Chiyo, Hyuga Hizashi, Hanzo the Salamander, Sarutobi Asuma, as well as nearly two dozen others, all famous shinobi from history walked out of their coffins. Madara saw them all as Kabuto raised his hands...and the last set of coffins were summoned.

"And finally, the late Jinchuriki," from the coffins, Uzumaki Mito was the first to step out, followed by Nii Yugito, Yagura, Roshi, Han, Ukataka, Fu, and Bee's cousin Killer Kai all stepped out, as well as a few others-from what Madara guessed, were other deceased Jinchiriki, perhaps of the Ichibi, standing in the background. "Such a force is unrivaled...don't you agree?"

"They better be worth it, Kabuto," Madara said with a bit of scorn in his voice.

Kabuto glanced back to see the Zetsus all beginning to rise out of the ground. They were all dressed in special wooden armor that they created for themselves, and had wooden blades and shurikens on their hips. One raised its hand and squeezed its hand into a tight fist before they all, Edo Tensei and White Zetsus began walking out of the Grave.

"With this...I declare the beginning of the Fourth Great Shinobi World War!" Madara announced and threw his fist into the air.

_To Be Continued..._

**Author's Notes**

Whew, what a chapter. I hope you enjoyed Konan's battle with 'Madara'. I wanted to give her a better showing than she had in canon, as well as keep her alive since I have more plans for her. I also hope you enjoy the skirmish Gaara had with 'Madara' as well as Tsunade's battle with Cho-Mei (the Nanabi). Hehe, I really liked writing the NaruHina scene as well as the reunion with the Rookies...and now the War is officially beginning with every Edo Tensei that is going to show up being there.

First battles are gonna start next chapter. I hope you'll enjoy! Please read and review and tell me what you liked!

**Jutsu List:**

_Kumo-Ryū Mikazukigiri (Cloud-Style Crescent Moon Beheading)_: Taijutsu/Kenjutsu, B-Rank, Offensive, Close Range, users Omoi, Karui, Killer Bee, and Hideki. The user creates a crescent moon slash with their chakra, able to sever limbs, heads, or even chakra strings with a single strike.

_Jiton: Kane Senpu (Magnet Release: Metal Whirlwind)_: Ninjutsu, No Rank, Offensive, Mid-Long Range, Kekkei Genkai, users Hideki, Toroi of the Jiton. Using the unique shuriken the user wields, the user makes them spin at high speed around each other. A powerful whirlwind is created by the spinning, enough to break through trees and branches.

_Jiton: Soju-do (Metal Release: Body Manipulation)_: Ninjutsu, No Rank, All Ranges, Offensive, Kekkei Genkai, users Hideki: The user creates a powerful magnetic field with their chakra. Using it, they're able to manipulate the target's body due to the tiny amounts of iron inside it.

_Rasenyari (Spiraling Spear_): Ninjutsu, A-Rank, Offensive, Close Range, users Hyuga Hinata. Using the first two steps of the Rasengan, the user shapes the spinning chakra and adds power around the user's entire hand and forearm to give it a powerful penetrative force. Can increase in penetration with the reduction of fingers.

_Chakura Ude (Chakra Arms)_: Ninjutsu, No Rank, Offensive/Defensive, All Ranges, Biju Skill, users Uzumaki Naruto, Killer Bee, any Jinchuriki or anyone with Biju Chakra in them: The user creates a simple arm made of chakra which can be used grab, and if necessary, crush targets, or can send normally short ranged ninjutsu into long range.

_Nendo Bushin (Clay Clone)_: Ninjutsu, No Rank, Supplementary, Kekkei Genkai, All Ranges, users Deidara: The user simply creates a clone made of their special detonating clay.

_Suiton: Mizu Misaru (Water Release: Water Missile)_: Ninjutsu, C-Rank, Offensive, Long Range, users Mei Terumi's Summoned Manta Ray, Mei Terumi. The user fires a high speed blast of water from their mouth, shaped into a missile that impacts with concussive force.

_Jinton: Genkai Hakuri no Jutsu (Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique)_: Ninjutsu, No Rank, Offensive, Kekkei Tota, All Ranges, users Onoki, Nidaime Tsuchikage Mu. By manipulating three elements, in the case of Jinton-Futon, Doton, and Katon, the user creates geometric shapes which engulf the target and destroy it right down to its very molecules. Users can destroy entire forests and even islands at the highest levels.

_Mokuton: Jukai Kōtan (Wood Release: Nativity of a Sea of Trees)_: Ninjutsu, No Rank, Offensive/Supplementary, Kekkei Genkai, All Ranges, users Yamato, Shodaime Hokage Senju Hashirama, Shimura Danzo. The user creates a small forest to shape the battlefield for their own ends, can also be used as a cushion during a steep fall.

_Kuchiyoise: Edo Tensei (Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation)_: Ninjutsu/Kinjutsu, S-Rank, Supplementary, All Ranges, users Nidaime Hokage Senju Tobirama, Orochimaru, Yakushi Kabuto. The user first finds the genetic material of the person they want to summon from the dead, stores it in a special scroll and then uses a sacrifice to bring the soul back to life as an immortal, unkillable zombie. The zombies initially have their memories and minds, but this can be eliminated via the Fuda that the user puts in their head. The zombies can also be modified, returned back to their 'prime' states of power. The only way to deal with the zombies is to either seal them, or force the summoner to break the contract which sends the souls back to the afterlife.

_Katon: Amekata Doragon Kouen no Jutsu (Fire Release: Rain Style Dragon Flame Technique)_: Ninjutsu, A-Rank, Offensive, Long-Ranged, users Hanzo the Salamander. The user shapes a massive amount of chakra in their bodies into a giant dragon. When it comes in contact with the enemy, it explodes with enough force to destroy an entire large building.

_Futton: Kōmu no Jutsu (Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique)_: Ninjutsu, No Rank, Offensive/Defensive/Supplementary, Kekkei Genkai, All Ranges, users Mei Terumi. The user creates a heavy acidic mist in the immediate facility, as well as blind the target. Can be more lethal in enclosed spaces.

_Yoton: Yoton no Yoroi (Lava Release Armor)_: Ninjutsu, No Rank, Offensive/Defensive, Kekkei Genkai, Close-Range, Kekkei Genkai, users Mei Terumi, Roshi of the Yoton. The user covers themselves in lava to act as a defense against physical attacks, as well as to make their own attacks more lethal.

_Katon: Hachiman (Fire Release: Hachiman)_: Ninjutsu, S-Rank, Offensive/Defensive/Supplementary, All Ranges, users Hanzo the Salamander. Hanzo the Salamander's most powerful ninjutsu. Created after witnessing the legendary Uchiha Madara's Susano'o in his childhood, he creates a unique 'solid flame' defense around him and shapes it into his own War God. All but the strongest attacks will fail against its defense, and even water won't extinguish the solid flames.

_Yoton: Sekkaigyō no Jutsu (Lava Release: Quicklime Congealing Technique)_: Ninjutsu, No-Rank, Offensive, Kekkei Genkai, Long-Range, Kekkei Genkai, user Kurotsuchi. The user manipulates the lava they create into a sticky quicklime which traps the enemy and hardens, leaving them vulnerable to attack.

_Suiton: Mizurappa (Water Release: Water Trumpet)_: Ninjutsu, B-Rank, Offensive, Long-Range, user Kurotsuchi. The user blows out a blast of water from their lips, either to force them to the ground or spread things around.

_Ranjishigami no Jutsu (Wild Lion's Mane Technique)_: Ninjutsu, B-Rank, Offensive/Supplementary, All Ranges, users Tenko, Jiraiya. This technique uses chakra to temporarily enhance the head's metabolism and manipulate the hair that grows longer as a result of it. There is also chakra flowing through the lengthened hair, making its hardness comparable to that of steel wire. By thickly bundling the hair, its strength is further increased, also increasing its destructive power.

_Sen'ei Tajashu (Many Hidden Shadow Snake Hands)_: Ninjutsu, B-Rank, Offensive, Short to Mid Range, users Mitarashi Anko, Orochimaru, Yakushi Kabuto. By increasing the amount of snakes summoned with the Hidden Shadow Snake Hands, the diversity of this ninjutsu is increased. The swarm of big snakes appear in an instant, each snake individually doing something like intimidating, diverting, or capturing the enemy in a cooperative attack. Without giving them the time to react, the enemy is entangled.

_Hari Jizo (Needle Jizo)_: Ninjutsu, B-Rank, Offensive/Defensive, Short Range, users Tenko, Jiraiya. This is a technique where the user encases themselves in a countless number of sharp needles, but in truth, the spikes are the user's hair. Chakra grants the strands of hair the hardness and shape of needles, endowed with a capacity to injure and kill on par with that of metallic weapons. In addition, if activated in response to an opponent's attack, it can also be used as a counter. The hair is made hard enough that it can withstand blows from certain types of weapons such as arrows.

_Jūho Sōshiken (Gentle Step Twin Lion Fists)_: Taijutsu, No Rank, Offensive, Kekkei Genkai, Short Range, users Hyuga Hinata. The user strikes the targets arms and body, hitting their tenkatsu, before surrounding their arms in chakra in the shapes of lions which will rip and tear through the target if they hit. The user can also slam both lions into the target and detonate them, sending the target crashing back.

_Suiton: Teppōdama (Water Release: Gunshot)_: Ninjutsu, C-Rank, Offensive, Long Range, users Gamabunta. The user kneads chakra, and converts it into water, and then spits it out in the form of condensed balls. The high-speed water ball attack possesses just as much power to kill as an actual gunshot. While this is a water release technique, it can still be employed someplace where no water is available, which is a great advantage. It is also possible to increase the power of destruction of the spheres themselves by building up the chakra inside of them. The number of bullets is determined while kneading chakra. By taking advantage of gravity, the bullets can brutally increase in power. With a user the size of Gamabunta, the bullets can actually be more like cannonballs, making them much deadlier.

_Senpo: Kebari Senbon (Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon)_: Senjutsu/Ninjutsu, No Rank, Offensive, Short to Mid Range, users Tenko, Jiraiya. This technique essentially hardens the hair on the user's head and shoots it continuously at the enemy. At the same time that Jiraiya kneads the chakra needed for Senjutsu and fires the hair needles, Fukasaku and Shima activate Jiraiya's hair roots causing the hair to grow at an accelerated rate thus making limitless rapid-fire possible. The sharpened points of the hair can turn the target's entire body into a pincushion. The sheer speed of this technique makes it the fastest attack with the widest range possible in Sage Mode to Jiraiya.

_Zessenzan (Fighting Tongue Slash)_: Senjutsu/Ninjutsu, No Rank, Offensive, All Ranges, users Fukasaku, Shima. By kneading senjutsu chakra, user's long tongue gains utmost solidity and sharpness. It then leaps from his mouth with tremendous speed and force, even tearing a hole in the bedrock and through metal pipes. With that ground-splitting power, the enemy is cut in half. The way that both the enemy and the ground itself are cut apart is reminiscent of the strike of a great sword.

_Kami Bushin (Paper Clone)_: Ninjutsu, A-Rank, Supplementary, All Ranges, users Konan. The user simply creates a clone out of paper. They can also conceal Explosive Tags in the paper clone and detonate them when near an enemy.

_Kirigakure no Jutsu (Hidden Mist Technique)_: Ninjutsu, D-Rank, Supplementary, All Ranges, users Konan, Mamochi Zabuza, Mei Terumi, Hatake Kakashi, Hoshigaki Kisame. The user creates a shroud of mist to conceal movement. Due to their chakra being in the mist, Dojutsu such as the Sharingan are completely blinded, while the Byakugan can see around the mist. A specialty of Kirigakure.

_Katon:_ _Bakufū Ranbu (Fire Release: Blast Wave Dance)_: Ninjutsu, No Rank, Offensive, Kekkei Genkai, Long Range, users Uchiha Madara. The user creates a stream of blue flames which are enhanced by the Mangekyo Sharingan technique, Kamui, which can destroy many targets at once.

_Bushin Daibakuha (Clone Great Explosion):_ Ninjutsu, A-Rank, Offensive, Short Range, users Uchiha Itachi, Konan. This technique is used to create a shadow clone or a clone with a medium that can be detonated. The clone looks like a normal shadow clone, which allows the user to get it close to the target without them expecting anything besides a normal attack, or the target might even close in willingly to try to attack the clone. Using multiple tricks and diversionary tactics to disguise the nature of the clone can make this technique more likely to be effective.

_Kami Teikiatsu (Paper Cyclone)_: Ninjutsu, B-Rank, Offensive, Short to Mid Range, users Konan. The user creates a large whirlwind made of sharpened paper to keep the target inside. They then either throw projectiles in, or fly in themselves to finish off the target.

_Kamui (God's Majesty)_: Ninjutsu, No Rank, Offensive/Defensive/Supplementary, All Ranges, users Uchiha Madara, Hatake Kakashi. This technique can be used in two ways: the first from the right eye-they can become intangible by phasing in and out of their dimension. The second way from the left eye creates a small Jikukan Barrier which can consume a target and transport them to the dimension. Both eyes can be used to send targets into the dimension by warping, as well as be used to exit the dimension or send a object or person flying out of it.

_Kami no Shisha no Jutsu (Paper Person of God)_: Ninjutsu, S-Rank, Offensive/Supplementary, All Ranges, users Konan. The user creates a massive chasm with their paper, and splits it down the middle to form a near bottomless pit. The user can also add billions upon billions of explosive tags to the chasm of paper and detonate them simultaneously, creating a explosion that last 10 full minutes.

_Kami Chakram (Paper Chakram)_: Ninjutsu, B-Rank, Offensive, Long Range, users Konan. The user creates a ring of paper enhanced chakra above their heads and tosses them at the enemy.

_Sōzō Saisei (Creation Rebirth)_: Ninjutsu/Kinjutsu, S-Rank, Supplementary, users Tsunade, Haruno Sakura. The absolute pinnacle of medical ninjutsu, created by the greatest of medical ninja, Tsunade, it is the ultimate regeneration technique. By releasing volume of chakra stored in her forehead at once, the body's cell division is forcibly stimulated by proteins, reconstructing all organs and all tissues making up the human body. The technique itself does not regenerate the old cells, rather it hastens the creation of new ones through division. If this technique is used, a body whose vital organs are so gravely injured that it cannot bear it any longer will be instantly restored to its uninjured state. As long as Tsunade has chakra it is impossible for her to die by any means, as such she gains a form of "immortality" throughout the duration of the technique.

_Rendan: Suna Shigure (Successive Shots: Sand Drizzle)_: Ninjutsu, No Rank, Offensive, Long Range, users Gaara. The user creates a shield of sand and creates 'bullets' inside them, and launches them at the enemy with great penetrative force.

_Suna Bakuhatsu (Sand Explosion)_: Ninjutsu, No Rank, Offensive, All Ranges, users Gaara. The user injects more chakra into the sand, which makes it violently explode.

_Tsūtenkyaku (Heavenly Kick of Pain)_: Taijutsu, C-Rank, Offensive, Short-Range, users Tsunade, Haruno Sakura. This technique is simply a falling axe kick. Tsunade concentrates her incredible strength into her heel and strikes the enemy. The power of this attack is so great that it would cause immediate death to anyone who is hit by the attack directly. It was shown that when she strikes the ground it results in a gigantic crater that can even kill an opponent caught in its immediate strike zone.

_Zesshi Nensan (Tongue Tooth Sticky Acid)_: Ninjutsu, B-Rank, Offensive, All Ranges, users Katsuyu. A highly concentrated acidic paste is suddenly released from the mouth. The acid boasts such high density and concentration that it is even capable of diluting stone, vaporising it. There are no prerequisite moves to do before this techniques' activation. Because of this, Katsuyu can easily strike quickly and catch an enemy off-guard with this attack.

_Suppaikō (Acid Rain)_: Ninjutsu, C-Rank, Offensive, All Ranges, users Katsuyu: The user sprays a massive amount of acid right into the sky, which falls over a wide area like rain drops.

_Raiton: Ikazuchi Ryu (Lightning Release: Thunder Fist)_: Ninjutsu, A-Rank, Offensive, Short Range, user Tsunade. The user concentrates a large amount of Raiton Chakra to their fists, and combined with their strength they can smash through strong defenses like they're paper. Not only that, the Raiton is directly injected into the targets nervous system and scrambles it, making them unable to move in the resulting paralysis.

_Betabeta no Jutsu (Sticky Technique)_: Ninjutsu, C-Rank, Supplementary, All Ranges, users Katsuyu. The user secretes a sticky substance on their skin, and can be used as an adhesive to firmly grasp a target.

_Suna Shuriken Rendan (Sand Shuriken Shower)_: Ninjutsu, No Rank, Offensive, Long Range, users Gaara. The user creates dozens of shuriken made of sand and launches them in quick succession.


	18. The War Begins: Clash on Two Fronts!

Chapter 18: The War Begins! Clash on Two Fronts!

**Mountain's Grave**

Anko's deep penetration Reconnaissance Squadron had gotten deep into enemy territory, and were near spitting distance to Madara's own hideout and he didn't detect them. Their Aburame member, Muta, lifted her hand as several ground worms began rising out of the ground. Her eyes widened behind her sunglasses.

"...it seems that Akatsuki is finally on the move," Muta said as she glanced at their Hyuga member, Tokuma. "Use your Byakugan to see their troops, we need a number clarification."

"Right!" Tokuma said as his Byakugan activated and he extended his range out. Anko came walking out of the tent and wiped her lips from her afternoon snack as the Hyuga's eyes widened.

"There are...over...100,000 soldiers moving out of Akatsuki's hideout...including..." Tokuma focused and frowned. "...as well as several Edo Tensei..."

"Send a message to Headquarters, Akatsuki is on the move!" Anko ordered and wiped her lips.

"Right!" one of the other members, Ranka, said as he summoned a falcon and sent it off with the latest intelligence right to Headquarters.

"We should begin pulling out, the way we're situated is going to be in the enemy's path," Muta said as she pushed up her black sunglasses. "I'll begin the jamming to prevent the enemy from sensing us."

Anko nodded. "Do it. Alright people, lets move out!"

**Kumogakure, Allied Forces Headquarters**

After the night of hanging with each other, the Konoha 11 and Tenko were integrating into their respective divisions. Hinata and Neji went to the Second Division and the Hyuga Heiress met Karui again, as well as Kurotsuchi who looked embarrassed when she looked up at the where the Division Generals were. Tenko and Tenten arrived at the First Division and the young Sage met Hyuga Hiashi, Akimichi Choza, a hot headed Kumo shinobi named Atsui, the Chunin team of Hagane Kotetsu, and the cool headed, large chested beauty known as Samui. Tenko involuntarily winced, she was the woman he had foolheartedly asked out the night before only to get shot down. Compared to the other divisions, there was a greater amount of Kumo Shinobi in the First Division, while in the Second Division there was a greater number of Iwa Shinobi.

Sakura and Rock Lee met up with the Third Division and met up with Lee's sensei, Maito Gai, as well as the young member of the Seven Swordsmen, Chojuro. A Suna ninja that Sakura recognized from her mission to rescue the Kazekage, Maki, also met up with them. The genius medic was shocked on how...shy and nearly non-threatening Chojuro was, given that she had encountered Mamochi Zabuza. There was also a greater amount of Konoha and Kiri Shinobi in the Third Division than there were in others.

Shikamaru and Choji arrived at the Fourth Division and Temari walked over. There was a greater mass of Suna ninja in the Fourth than in the other Division due to the presence of the Kazekage being in charge. The Suna Kunoichi scowled when she saw that the Nara strategist still hadn't shaved the beard he had grown and she crossed her arms.

Ino, Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino arrived at the Fifth Division. Kiba's elder sister, Hana walked over with a few Samurai she was talking to. There were also a larger number of Samurai in this division than there were in others. The Inuzuka heir rubbed his nose and looked eager to show his stuff in the war, while the Aburame heir was as stoic as always.

"Man, I can't wait to cut loose! Maybe after the War, they'll boot Naruto out and make me Hokage!" Kiba exclaimed enthusiastically, which caused Hana to hit him on the head.

"Don't make light of War, idiot!"

The smaller divisions were being formed as well. Kankuro was talking with the members of the Ambush Division, which included him, Sai, Hyuga Hoheto, a Iwa Shinobi with brown hair and a goatee named Ittan, a Kiri shinobi with tall spiky brown hair ironically named Kiri, Omoi, and a second Konoha shinobi with long light brown hair named Zaji. Omoi took out a new lollipop and he began sucking on it as Sai walked over.

"I hope there are no hard feelings for the clash we had in Konoha..."

"Don't worry about it, its too troublesome," Omoi said as he folded his hands behind his head. He glanced at Kankuro. "Thought our commander would be older though..."

"Kankuro is the Kazekage's elder brother, and one of its premier puppeteer ninja, I think we are in safe hands," Sai said with one of his usual smiles.

In the Third Division Sakura was talking with Chojuro, getting to know the young Seven Swordsman. He was rather shy, and was surprised when he learned she was on the same team as Naruto and Sasuke which had taken down Zabuza. Rock Lee 'yoshed' and began talking enthusiastically with the young Swordsman. Gai stumbled over, interrupting the conversation as he passed out, his eyes blanked.

"Gai-sensei!"

"Its the effects of the Gates! Why wasn't he checked out before even coming here?!" Sakura yelled as her hands glowed green and she began to heal Gai.

In the Second Division, Hinata and Neji were talking, and the Hyuga Heiress informed the Hyuga Prodigy...of the change. Of the Keihatsu Byakugan. His eyes widened in surprise, he had no idea something like that could even existed.

"...it was...during when Naruto-kun was trying to get control over the Kyubi," Hinata started as she activated her Byakugan. "I began...feeling worried...and hoped Naruto-kun'd be okay...eventually I...just found at peace. I knew Naruto-kun would somehow succeed...and that we didn't have to worry. And then this happened..." her eyes seemed to swirl and a yin-yang symbol appeared in both. "I awoke these..."

"That's incredible, Hinata-sama, have you told Hiashi-sama yet?" Neji asked and Hinata shook her head, her Keihatsu powering down.

"I haven't had the chance to. He's been in meetings with the Commanders and the chosen Generals of this war, as well as with the Clan Elders," Hinata replied as she rubbed the back of her head. She noticed that Neji's hands were...bandaged, just like his teammate Rock Lee. "Hopefully there'll be time..."

On one of Kumogakure's buildings, the chosen five generals were observing their assembled Divisions of nearly 14,000 shinobi and samurai each. Ranton no Darui would lead the First Division, 'Mountain Smash' Kitsuchi would lead the Second Division, 'Copy Ninja' Hatake Kakashi would lead the Third Division, Kazekage Subaku no Gaara would lead the Fourth Division-and had been made the overall battlefield commander of the entire Shinobi Forces, and General Iaido no Mifune would lead the Fifth. Also below, the members of the Sensor Division and the Medical Division were meeting, Ao being put in charge of the former, and Shizune for the latter. Shizune was busy explaining that Tonton wasn't food to the members of her division. Between those two there were nearly 1000 members.

Tenko glanced around and began to notice that there were several...minor arguments and fights that were starting between the members of different villages. "Huh...come on guys we're on the same side..."

"Ugh idiots who can't put the past in the past," Karui commented next to Hinata and Neji and folded her hands behind her head as the arguments and old grudges began getting heated.

"...its to be expected. Not once in our entire history has all Five Great Nations ever worked together on a single thing, especially not a war," Neji said as he glanced around.

"Even though its understandable...we need to all work together though," Hinata added as down the line from her, a Iwa Shinobi shoved the Suna Shinobi and insulted his lineage and village.

Sakura gritted her teeth and squeezed her hand into a tight fist. "You stupid morons, we're all on the same side!"

"Sakura-chan is right, Akatsuki is the real enemy!" Rock Lee added.

"You kids don't know anything! I lost my father in the last war with these idiots accursed village!" the Iwa Ninja yelled, shoving the Suna Ninja as similar fights started to break out.

"Your village killed a lot of our people too you idiot, I haven't forgotten Iwa's attack on the civilian convoys! My sisters died there!" the Suna Ninja retorted.

"Oh yeah?! I'll have your head!"

Up above...Gaara closed his eyes and lifted his hand. Sand began wafting up in between everyone that was arguing or fighting and it coalesced before it bursts, blowing the arguing shinobi away and getting everyone's attention. The Commander closed his eyes.

"If any of you still feel like fighting each other after this is all over, take _my_ head instead of each other!" Gaara yelled in a booming voice. All the Shinobi looked up at him. "But right now, these old grudges, they don't matter! Not one bit!" The Kazekage closed his eyes again. "I was like all of you, thought only _my_ pain mattered. Thought only my satisfaction in making others hurt was my purpose, that it was right! But a enemy, who defeated me in battle...gave me mercy. He helped me. And now, I want to help him! I want to protect him, but I can't do it all alone...but...please...together, we all will be!"

Gaara paused and waited for the reactions as the assembled shinobi from all five villages began cheering at the Kazekage's plea. Kakashi wiped his forehead and knew that a disaster could have been averted if not for Gaara's speech. Kitsuchi gave a sigh of relief and chuckled.

"Nice speech, Kazekage-sama, you got them all on the same side!"

"...thank you, but congratulate me after we win the War," Gaara said and Kitsuchi nodded.

Darui stretched. "Not a moment too soon, we'll be moving out soon."

"Agreed," Mifune said as he put his hand on his blade, Kurosawa.

Three of the Five Kages were gathered on a nearby building, the Raikage, Hokage, and Tsuchikage. A crossed his arms and smirked proudly, and Onoki on his right side. The wind picked up and blew Tsunade's hair on his left and she then punched her fist to her hand.

"I know it, we're going to win this War," Tsunade said and the diminutive Tsuchikage smirked.

"Was there any doubt, Tsunade-hime?" Onoki asked as he looked down at all their troops. "Never before has all five great villages worked together to a common goal...after the War is over we need to keep it this way."

"Achieving peace without our villages fighting each other anymore, I do like the sound of that," A said as the army began moving out of the valley where they were gathered and the Ambush Division took to the air to fly ahead of the rest of the divisions.

**Mountain's Graveyard**

Madara and Kabuto had walked out with their army, the White Zetsus all flexing their arms and hands as they prepared to move out. The Snake Sannin's disciple had formed his own Ambush Team, lead by Deidara and Sasori. Also part of the team was ROOT's former top assassin, alias known as Shin, and Chukichi of the Meiton (Dark Release). Kabuto smirked and passed on a scroll to Sasori, whose eyebrow raised.

"I believe you'll be completely fit to use your legendary Akahigi (Red Secret Technique), Sasori-dono," Kabuto said with a grin.

"Ah, my spare one, thank you," Sasori opened up his mouth and stored the scroll inside his body and Deidara made a face.

"Come on Sasori-danna couldn't you just have stored it on your back?!"

"Don't you consume your clay for your C4 technique?" Sasori asked and the mad bomber growled.

"How the hell did you know about that?!"

"We were partners, I saw you practicing," Sasori said and he glanced at Madara. "...hard to believe that Zetsu and my replacement are the only Akatsuki left alive."

Kabuto smirked. "Well Kisame is also alive, though he's already on the move. Looks to be searching for an opponent..."

"Heh, I can't wait for another shot at Naruto! I didn't get to fight him last time due to that old man!"

"Depends on how well you do in the coming battles, Deidara," Kabuto said with a smirk and Chukichi snapped up and started to resist the control.

"Akat...suki...I will not!"

Kabuto then made a seal and completely wiped Chukichi's mind. "Better keep ones like you mindless killing machines, while others will be more useful to psychologically torture the Alliance. And of course, my resurrected Akatuski won't have any troubles killing..."

Madara nodded. "I see..." his Sharingan glanced at the Zetsu gathered. "To increase the speed of deployment, use Kagerō (Mayfly). I'll stay at the base until its my time to be deployed."

"Right boss!" the Zetsus said as they began to sink into the ground.

Kabuto glanced at Madara. "It'll be better if our two forces also combine-four to six Edo Tensei will be deployed with the Zetsu that are fighting today."

"...sounds like a plan, designate the ones you want," Madara said as he glanced at the Zetsus who began to sink into the ground.

Kabuto's snake appendage then lifted up, sniffing the air and it talked to him in a language the Uchiha couldn't understand. _Ah I see...they __**did**__ pursue me. Excellent._

"...what is it?"

"Some interlopers, I'll go take care of them," Kabuto said with a smirk. "After all, you're not used to that Rinnegan yet...should wait until you're fully accustomed to them. Correct?"

_Little...bastard..._

The Edo Tensei master performed a seal and then vanished as he used Shunshin no Jutsu. The original White Zetsu moved out of the ground and looked up at Madara. The Uchiha was slightly trembling before he managed to compose himself.

"How is Sasuke's growth, Zetsu?" he asked after several seconds.

"...still same old same old..."

"...did you manage to get your spores on that snake?"

"Yep, inside and out! It's his move next!"

"Excellent...we'll wait and see. Keep an eye on him, I don't want _any_ surprises."

Zetsu nodded and he sank right back into the ground, the remaining upgraded White Zetsus disappeared. Madara took a deep breath through his nose and glanced at the sun in the sky, the wind blew more clouds obscuring it...and the cloud turned slightly red. He smirked, the original symbol of the Akatsuki was in the sky for just a few moments.

_It seems there is a good omen for us..._ Madara thought, but his smirk faded. _Unless its favoring Konan and her ideals of peace..._

**Land of Frost, lower country**

High in the sky, Kankuro's Ambush Squad flew on Sai's Chōjū Giga (Super Beast Imitating Drawing) birds. Omoi on his bird took out a fresh lollipop from a wrapper and plopped it into his mouth. The Kumo swordsman glanced at their Puppet Master leader.

"...so is this your first war, Commander?"

"...yes...I didn't engage in the Invasion of Konoha four years ago, so this is my first real War," Kankuro replied and he breathed out. "Though I'm confident we'll win..."

On his bird, Ittan glanced over. "I have experience, I fought in the Third Shinobi World War," he pulled down his black collar and exposed a jagged scar across the side of his neck. "I nearly lost my life against the Yellow Flash himself..."

Zaji's jaw dropped and Hoheto's widened. "How'd you survive? I thought only Raikage-sama and his brother had survived fighting the Yellow Flash," Kiri asked him.

Ittan grinned. "It was because of my comrade...it was during one of the key battles...I was a Chunin then, barely older than 15..."

_Eighteen years ago, a massive army from Iwagakure marched through the Land of Grass and had destroyed most of the opposition. However, Konoha managed to send a few divisions in which worked with the Kusagakure shinobi in an attempt to liberate their country. Several bridges across the country would have to be destroyed to eliminate the crucial supply lines that the Iwa invasion force depended on. _

_One of those bridges was Kannabi Bridge. Iwagakure spies in Konoha lines had managed to discover the plans to destroy the bridge. A full battalion of 20 Jonin and 30 Chunin had managed to pin down a battle group of 60 Konoha shinobi of various ranks. A young Ittan was part of the Iwagakure army at the battle._

"_Alright men...get ready...!" the commander yelled as all of the Doton users combined their jutsus into a massive piece of rock high in the air._

_Kunai and shuriken were being launched at them, as well as Katons and Futons from the Konoha lines tried to hamper their efforts. Ittan could see many of his fellow shinobi being picked off by the Konoha attack but he kept concentrating, adding his power to the massive stone that was in the air. _

"_FIRE!" the commander yelled and the massive Doton crashed right into Konoha's lines, nearly wiping out the entire battalion in that single attack. _

_A resounding cheer let out from the Iwa Shinobi, victory was in their sights. However...on the Konoha Lines...the Yellow Flash arrived and learned the situation from the survivor four members of the Konoha battle group. The commander squinted...and saw the glint of dozens of kunai being tossed right from the Konoha lines. And then he saw...Namikaze Minato standing right on the edge of the crater that was Konoha's lines._

"_Its the...!" before he could finished a three-bladed kunai sailed past him and from it the Yellow Flash appeared and jammed the kunai he was holding right into the Iwa Commander's skull before vanishing in a flash._

_Time...seemed to slow down as Ittan looked around and saw his fellow Iwa Shinobi dying one by one without any way to defend themselves. One of his friends had managed to launch a defensive Doton wall in time to block a Kunai but when Minato appeared a glowing blue sphere appeared over his hand and he smashed through the defense like it was nothing and tossed the kunai again. Ittan's friend was cut down, blood squirting and spurting from his neck as the Yellow Flash moved on. To Ittan...he was like a demon, nothing could stop him...and from the corner of his eye he could see a kunai approaching him..._

_'No...I have to...!' Ittan thought as the kunai sailed past and he could see Minato appearing...felt the cold steel right on his neck...but suddenly a blast of rock from his friend's direction managed to redirect Minato's full slash. Blood still burst from the young Iwa shinobi's neck as he fell to the ground and hit his head, blacking out as Minato paused...before moving on. Just as Ittan fully passed out, he could hear the screams of terror as the Yellow Flash finished his job..._

"...and that's how I got it...I awoke a hour later, a relief Iwa battalion was evacuating me off the battlefield. I was...the only survivor of that battle and I got the scar on my neck," Ittan said and he breathed in. "...hard to believe his war is to protect that Demon's son."

"...Yondaime Hokage is revered as a hero in Konoha...though I guess he'd have the title of demon in your village Ittan-san," Sai commented and Ittan nodded.

"...anyway, I'll put my experience to good use, Commander Kankuro. You have my strength," Ittan said with a nod and Kankuro nodded.

"Good, we're gonna need it," Kankuro said as they flew toward the drop of point. "We'll start setting up traps throughout this area, just don't let your guard down! We're in enemy territory!"

"Understood!" the entire team said with a nod.

Up ahead, Anko had sent her team ahead when Tokuma's Byakugan had picked up Kabuto's movement. She slid under a bush as she took out a half dozen shuriken as her eyes darted back and forth. Anko then heard a viscous hiss of a snake behind her and she jumped forward and spun on a dime and tossed the shuriken right at Kabuto who grinned.

"Anko, it has been a while hasn't it?" Kabuto asked as he dodged the barrage and Anko snarled and flew through the seals.

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)!" Anko yelled and she blew out a massive fireball from her mouth which the Edo Tensei user jumped out of the way from. The fireball careened through the forest and plowed through several trees and exploded. "Still as slippery as ever, Kabuto..."

"I'm so glad you think so!" Kabuto announced as he jumped into the air. "Sen'ei Tajashu (Many Hidden Shadow Snake Hands)!"

"Sen'ei Tajashu!" Anko retorted, the two summoning dozens of small snakes from their wrists and collided in mid-air. She then barely jumped out of the way of Kabuto's tail snake which hissed, trying to bite her.

Anko gritted her teeth and grabbed a kunai from her pouch as the snake lunged and she tossed the kunai right into the roof of its mouth with such force it went slamming into a tree and was impaled upon it. However, Kabuto was already moving and his hands glowed blue and he struck Anko's ankles before he punched her hard in the stomach. She skidded back ad blood flew from her mouth and she found it harder to stand. Anko's vision blurred as she saw the snake...liquify off the tree before it came at her at startling speed. Before she could move Kabuto's snake tail bit her right in the neck and she gasped in pain.

"You truly made this a bit harder than it had to be. But don't worry, you won't die yet, I have need of you," Kabuto said as he grinned. "You did live up to being Orochimaru-sama's favorite student with your counters, I'll give you that much."

"Go to...hell..." Anko muttered as she blacked out, Kabuto's snake tail wrapped around her neck and lifted her up.

"Now I believe I'll find myself a good place..."

Her team was now fleeing from Akatsuki's Insurgency Squad, which was made up of Deidara, Sasori, Chukichi, and Shin who were flying on the mad bomber's C1 birds. Muta had dispersed her insects in a wide pattern and then activated the Mushi Jamingu no Jutsu (Insect Jamming Technique) which began blinding Chukichi while allowing Tokuma to sense with his Byakugan. Chukichi looked around robotically.

"They are...covering their tracks...well...I can't see through this...jamming..."

"Tsk, I'll just blow the entire area apart!" Deidara announced with a grin and he reached into his pockets. "Time for a bit of C2!"

After some chakra molding, a tiny dragon-shaped piece of clay was made and Deidara tossed it down and yelled 'Katsu'. In a puff of smoke, the C2 Dragon was activated and its master hopped onto its back and he grinned madly at the chance to test his art as an Edo Tensei. Sasori from his bird sighed and shook his head.

"His ego seems to have increased since I left this world," Sasori commented and he grasped his scroll.

"Yo Konoha Ninja down there!" Deidara yelled as he dove. "Lets see if you know that art...is a BLAST?!"

On the ground, Tokuma's eyes widened at the amount of chakra inside the C2 Dragon. "Move faster! We need to get at least to where the Ambush division is so we can plan a counter attack!"

Muta was already moving, jumping through the trees as she saw the birds taking flight. In a puff of smoke, Tokuma had summoned what looked like claws for the palms of his hands to increase his Jyuken's effectiveness. It was then that Deidara shot the _first_ of the C2 bombs from his creation's mouth. The Hyuga expelled chakra from his entire body and began to spin in a Kaiten but the C2 exploded right when it hit the chakra shield. The force of the explosion shook the entire area and flattened everything around Tokuma. When the smoke cleared, the Hyuga looked to be standing...

"Heh, that Kaiten's something hm," Deidara said with a grin as Tokuma spat out blood and dropped to his knees as blood burst from his left side. His arm had been completely disintegrated but the wound wasn't cauterized by the explosion's heat. "But yours' is apparently not strong enough. Hey Sasori-danna, wanna add a Hyuga to your inferior art collection?!"

"I have enough Hyuga puppets, thank you. I believe he does have to be finished off however," Sasori said as Shin gritted his teeth and shunshined down to the ground and he activated his Kamereon no Jutsu (Chameleon Technique) and blended with the background.

Even with Tokuma's Byakugan, he couldn't differentiate between the background and Shin until it was too late...his head went flying. Shin reappeared as he slid his tanto back into its hilt. Deidara groaned and leaned back.

"Oh come on, why did you have to stop the fun!"

"Our job isn't pointless torture to the enemy," Shin retorted as he squeezed his hand into a tight fist. _And seeing a fellow Konoha shinobi tortured like that..._

"As expected of The Chameleon," Sasori commented. "You were the ROOT's top assassin, you live up to the title with that technique."

Shin's eyes narrowed. "...Sasori of the Red Sand. If not for my demise, I'd have been assigned to kill you."

Shin's technique, the Kamereon no Jutsu, was rather special, inspired by the Meisaigakure no Jutsu (Hiding with Camouflage Technique) from Iwagakure, and superior to it except for its use by the Nidaime Tsuchikage Mu. His body had chromatophores integrated inside it and would change into any color from the background around him near naturally, and with his control over it he could perfectly blend in the scenery. Even dojutsu could be fooled since it was a natural ability. It was one of the reasons why he was ROOT's top assassin in life, he could stealth-fully enter a building and hit his target and exit without even being seen.

Deidara put his hand to his chin. "That ability gives me an idea...hm...yeah...this'll be good."

"We should at least spare one of the Konoha worms," Sasori commented as he glanced at Chukichi. "That Aburame, can you still track her despite the jamming?"

"Yes..." Chukichi replied mechanically. He lifted his finger up slowly and pointed in the direction.

"Excellent," Sasori said as he unraveled his scroll and summoned two human puppets, and he flicked his fingers and began to control them expertly.

Down below, Muta was fleeing. She had sensed the Allied Shinobi nearby and he swarm flew around her actively jamming everything so her chakra signal was obscured. She had bit her lip hard enough to draw blood in frustration since she had sensed Tokuma's death, her usual Aburame stoicism cracking for a moment. Suddenly she heard the sound of what seemed like wood being rattled at high speed and she jumped out of the way of a human puppet armed with a chakra blade. Another one tried attacking the Aburame from behind and she jumped to a higher branch and extended her swarm to counter attack.

"Human puppets...that means Sasori of the Red Sand has been reincarnated as an Edo Tensei..." Muta muttered as he swarm engulfed both puppets in a giant sphere. "Hijitsu: Mushidama (Secret Technique: Insect Sphere)."

Both puppets were covered in the swarm of Kikai insects and began draining the chakra from them. The puppets fell lifelessly after just a few seconds and Muta had her swarm surround her as a protective warning shield as she continued to flee. She wiped some of the blood from her lip and did a seal and she slammed her palm down onto a branch. With a puff of smoke a giant dragonfly with a Konoha headband around its 'neck' appeared and she jumped on it. In an instant, she was taking off a speeds that her pursuers couldn't keep up with from the distance they started at.

_...Tokuma-san, I won't forget your sacrifice..._ Muta thought as she grasped her chest before she looked up in determination.

"...she...got...away...the jamming...has increased..." Chukichi said as Deidara groaned.

"Guess we shouldn't have spent the effort on the Hyuga then, Deidara," Sasori said as the mad bomber grumbled.

"Hey at least I didn't have two of my pieces of art neutralized!"

"I can easily retrieve my puppets when we locate them, we should get to work anyway," Sasori said as Deidara's visible eye narrowed.

"Yeah yeah, we know..." Deidara grumbled as he crossed his arms on his C2 dragon.

**Alliance Headquarters, Kumogakure**

A tapped his finger on the table as the final preparations were finished in the War Room. Ao, the leader of the Sensor Division was sat in front of the Kanchi Shisutemu Jutsu (Sensing System Technique) which resembled a giant water ball that had tens of thousands of little dots moving across the 'map landscape' that was on it. Yamanaka Inoichi was sat in front of the telepathic, high speed communications device and was already passing on orders and formations that Nara Shikaku were making. Tsunade and Onoki were positioned next to the acting Supreme Commander as every single order and communication was sent.

"We've received word from Mitarashi Anko's Recon Squad, they were ambushed by four Edo Tensei!" Inoichi announced as he looked up. "Anko has yet to report in, but Aburame Muta has reported that Hyuga Tokuma has fallen to the enemy, the other two members of the Squadron haven't reported in!"

"Redirect Muta to join the Ambush Squad, I sense the four Edo Tensei's approaching their current location...two are Akatsuki! From the signatures..." Ao started as he looked up. "Deidara and Sasori are the two Akatsuki Edo Tensei's...the other two...I don't quite...wait...Meiton no Chukichi...damn it they even reincarnated him..."

"Meiton?" one of the younger sensors from Konoha asked.

"It is one of Kirigakure's premiere Kekkei Genkai, it has the ability to absorb and redirect mostly any ninjutsu right back at the user," Ao explained as he leaned back. "Chukichi was once its leader, as well as one of my comrades in the Hunter Ninja squads, as well as an experienced sensor ninja. He disappeared on a mission and was pronounced dead nearly two years ago..."

One of the sensors facing west looked up. "I'm detecting...20,000 enemies...those 'Zetsu' things heading straight towards the Second Division's current location! And...five Edo Tensei are with them...I can't recognize the sources though..."

The sensing water ball spun at Ao's command and a tiny hologram of the five Edo Tensei appeared in the middle of the table. Tsunade looked up at two of the Edo Tensei who were leaping from tree to tree in pace with the the White Zetsu underground. A's eyes narrowed as he saw the second one.

"Uchiha Fugaku and Hyuga Hizashi I recognize," Tsunade said after a few moments. "The Uchiha Clan's last leader and the Hyuga Clan's martyr...Kabuto isn't just bringing Edo Tensei back for power."

"...one wonders how many other Uchiha or Hyuga he's brought back, or even Senju members..." A said as he resisted the urge to punch the table. "These other three..."

"Gekko Hayate," Shikaku said as he recognized one. "And lets see..."

A Suna Ninja looked over after delivering a report to Mabui. "...isn't that...the boy who assassinated the Yondaime Kazekage?!"

Shikaku focused on the one that the Suna Ninja indicated. "Yes...he matches the descriptions of Orochimaru's most loyal follower that fought Rock Lee and Gaara-sama four years ago...Kimimaro..."

"He's a taijutsu specialist...and has a bloodline called Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse)," Ao said as he looked up at the holographic picture and saw the distinct red dots above Kimimaro's eyes. "...and Orochimaru managed to get him after his clan tried their rebellion and failed."

"And the last one?" Inoichi asked as he looked up as the woman with what looked like she was clad in red armor with a...stove on her back.

"A member of the 'Steam Armor Corps'," Onoki asked as he rubbed his beard. "The same team which Han, our Gobi Jinchuriki belonged to...until she was killed in one of his rampages that is. Her name is Hyakurin Umeko...she was a highly skilled Jonin and master of the Jōki no Yoroi Jutsu (Steam Armor Jutsu)."

"Five highly skilled fighters right off the bat and at the rate they're heading, they'll arrive at the Second Division before our opposing Ambush Squads even meet up," Shikaku said as he glanced at Inoichi. "Send an order for half of the Fifth Division to extend their line to the Second. And move the Second Division in Kitsuchi can unearth those Zetsu things!"

"Understood, sending the order now!" Inoichi said as he made a seal and transmitted the messages psychically right to the front lines to the closest Communications Shinobi.

**Lightning Country, Southwestern Border with Frost Country, Second Division**

At the Second Division, the order came through from Headquarters to prepare to attack the enemy. Already the Fifth Division moved into get into position with them, Kiba, Shino, Inuzuka Hana, as well as several members of the Inuzuka Clan and others arrived at the cliff where Kurotsuchi and her father, Kitsuchi were positioned. The muscular Iwa General cracked his knuckles as his Yoton using daughter grumbled.

Neji glanced back seeing Kiba and Shino. "You guys got here fast."

"There weren't any enemies to delay us so we got here as soon as possible," Shino said as his insects began to swarm out of his body.

"Heh, if there were I'd have kicked their asses!" Kiba added as Akamaru barked next to him. "We'll get to fight alongside Hinata this time now, just like old times!"

"Right Kiba-kun, Shino-kun," Hinata said as her Byakugan activated. "They're coming..."

"Alright, ready Kurotsuchi?! Time for one of our combos!"

"I'm ready dad, so stop posturing!" Kurotsuchi replied as she and her father did the required seals. "Doton: Kaido Shokutsu (Earth Release: Rising Earth Evacuation)!"

Both Kitsuchi and Kurotsuchi slammed their hands to the ground and in just a few seconds a kilometer high mound of rock in the shape of a volcano rose right in front of the two divisions and the surprised White Zetsus were sent flying into the air as everyone readied their long ranged attacks. In an instant, thousands of kunai and shuriken were set lose alongside several elemental jutsus of all types. Hinata and Neji then stepped as one and drew their hands back.

"Hakke Kuhekisho (Eight Trigrams Air Palm Wall)!" both Hyuga yelled as they launched a massive combined Hakke Kusho right at the airborne Zetsus.

"Gatenga (Double Sawing Fang)!" Hana yelled as she and the Haimaru Brothers jumped into the air and moved at such high speeds they resembled buzz saws.

"Gatsuga (Double Piercing Fang)!" Kiba yelled as he and Akamaru leaped up and began to spin horizontally at such high speeds they resembled airborne drills.

"Hijitsu: Mushidama (Secret Technique: Insect Sphere)," Shino said in his usual monotone as he set a mass of his insects flying into the sky in a giant ball shape...and his skin began to turn purple.

"Kumo-Ryū Omotegiri (Cloud Style Front Beheading)!" Karui yelled as she charged her blade with a Raiton and slashed forward and sent a blade of electricity right into the air.

All the attacks impacted in the air and scattered the airborne Zetsus as Kiba, Akamaru, Hana, and the Haimaru brothers landed, the surviving Zetsus landed right in front of them and drew wooden blades. Kiba grinned and he his fingernails turned into sharp claws and he took out the blade on his back and then clashed with Akatsuki's main troops alongside his elder sister and their ninken. More Zetsus made landfall and began charging right into the main Alliance troop deployment and tossed wooden shuriken and kunai to deflect the Alliance's counter attack.

Hinata and Neji used double Kaitens to block the barrage of wooden kunai and shuriken and the Hyuga Heiress's eyes widened when she saw what happened when one of their allies were hit. A kunai had embedded itself in a nearby samurai, completely penetrating his armor and suddenly a giant root shot right out of his neck and he died painfully. More Alliance shinobi and samurai suffered the same fate and began to focus on how to defend themselves from the barrage either through evasion or blocking with their own weapons.

Karui charged forth as her blade crackled with lightning and she deflect several attacks and got up close to three Zetsus. She yelled as she dodged their strikes and then she spun and slashed right through the first two's wooden armor with a single slash before she twirled her blade, skidded in front of the third Zetsu and stabbed it right as it was getting ready to slash her with its wooden blade. Slowly she withdrew her blade and flicked it to get the Zetsu blood off of it.

Finally Shino deftly dodged several of the wooden kunai and shuriken as several Zetsus rushed him. His insects were already out and attacking several of the enemy at long range. He sidestepped the first Zetsu that got into close range with him and he tapped it on the neck and did the same thing to the last seven who got close. He then put his hands back into his coat and kicked another one that came close. One of the Zetsus laughed.

"What the hell was that? Oh, you're defenseless without your swarm right?"

"My swarm is already getting to work. Look at your comrades," Shino answered calmly as he jumped sideways from several of the Zetsus kunai and shuriken.

The Zetsu glanced back...and it saw that its brothers had started to liquify into a purple...gunk. And to its horror his own body began to be eaten away like them.

"What is this, a poison?!"

"No, they're my insects...you're already dead," Shino replied as the Zetsu charged him with his sword drawn...but he barely made it three steps before his entire body was reduced to a purple goop. The purple then lifted off of what was left of the Zetsus and rejoined Shino's body as he went to continue the fight.

Hinata was dodging Zetsu attacks left and right and slammed her palms into two of Akatsuki's foot soldiers as she sidestepped a slash. She opened her palm and the Rasengan flared to life in it and she smashed it to the nearest Zetsu and sent him spiraling into three of its fellows. With her other hand she created the Rasenyari and charged chakra to her feet to enhance her shunshin like Sakura would and she smashed through two Zetsus at the same time.

"There is like...a never ending number of them..." Hinata said as she yanked her hand out of the Zetsu corpses but two more just jumped at her.

"Hakke Kusho!" Neji yelled and hit the two attacking Zetsu from afar. "Hinata-sama, you alright?!"

"Yes, I'm...Hakke Kusho!" she started before she launched her own Hakke Kusho and hit a Zetsu that was about to attack her cousin from behind. "...fine Neji-nii-san!"

Kiba then slammed down his blade in front of a dozen Zetsus. "Senpo...Ryoga (Whirlwind Wolf Fang)!" he yelled as several drilling blades burst from the ground and tore the Zetsus to shreds before they could move. "Heh, Naruto! Your Rasengan can eat its heart out!"

Hana then tossed a dozen kunai right at the Zetsus which were converged from behind Kiba. "Keep your senses, fight now, brag later!"

Suddenly a fireball slammed into the midst of the Allied Shinobi Forces, Shino was even sent skidding back as part of his coat was scorched. Hinata and Neji's attention were drawn by the sound and they saw...the Edo Tensei shinobi arrive. Their eyes widened seeing...Hizashi among them.

"Father/Uncle!" both Neji and Hinata yelled at the same time.

Hizashi glanced over, his Byakugan active. "Hinata-sama...and...Neji..." his eyes widened slightly. "...how long has it been...they're almost adults..."

The white haired Kimimaro lifted his hand. "...I can feel Orochimaru-sama's chakra flowing through me...I will not fail..." Instantly, his ribcage sprouted out of his chest as several curved bone spikes appeared on his forearms and then several more appeared on his back. "Karamatsu no Mai (Dance of the Larch)!"

With that, Kimimaro ran into the mass of Alliance ninja, tossing several of them away with the impact of his attack. He dodged and ducked their attacks making it seem like he was dancing with their movements. Several shinobi tried attacking him from all sides, but ended up being impaled on the bones he brought to the surface. He then jumped back and fired his fingertips right at several advancing Allied Shinobi and cut them down utterly.

Neji's eyes narrowed. "Hinata-sama, I'll take care of that guy, stay on guard!"

"Right Neji-nii-san!" Hinata said, her Rasenyari still activated around her forearm as another Zetsu tried to attack her.

Fugaku raised his hand. "...Edo Tensei...so someone finally completed the blasted Nidaime Hokage's technique," he said as he squeezed his hand into a tight fist, his black pupils swirling into a Sharingan. Those eyes glanced to see Hinata. _...and the girl I intended Sasuke to wed is here...lets see her worth!_

Hinata was in the midst of avoiding several wooden kunai from the Zetsus in the distance when the late Uchiha leader charged at her while he formed several seals. His hands and feet were then engulfed in flames and he began launching several jabs and kicks at the Hyuga Heiress. She gasped in surprised and crossed her arms to block the first punch but she cried out in pain from the burns.

"Hyuga Hinata...I believe. How do you like my Katon: Nensho Ryu (Fire Release: Burning Style)?" Fugaku asked as he punched forward and launched a barrage of fireballs right at her.

Acting quickly, chakra formed around Hinata's body and she let loose a defensive Kaiten which blocked the fireballs. Fugaku charged forward, drawing a long, curved kunai from his pack as well as a small fuma shuriken and he tossed the shuriken at Hinata who blocked with a Hakke Kusho. As she prepared for the next strike the late Uchiha leader slammed his foot into her face with a kick and sent her tumbling backwards. Hinata jumped back to her feet, wiping the blood off her lip.

_He's strong..._

"Is this all the Hyuga Heiress can do?" Fugaku asked as he charged his flames around his long curved kunai. "I'm starting to believe it was good that I didn't live to see the arrangements full filled between my clan and yours..."

"What are...?" Hinata began as Fugaku dashed ta her, slashing with his blade.

Hinata blocked with her own kunai but was forced to break off and she skidded under a punch from the Uchiha leader and assumed a stance. His Sharingan widened as he realized the implication: he was in the range of her divination.

_I hope I can pull it off fully this time..._ "Hakke Rokujuyon Sho (Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms)!" Hinata called out and then she landed two solid blows on Fugaku's body. "Two palms!" she then landed four more. "Four palms!" and then eight. "Eight Palms!" She then unleashed a flurry of blows to reach 16. "Sixteen palms!" Hinata then unleashed another barrage, hitting 32 points. "Thirty-Two palms!" And then the final, most difficult barrage was launched...hitting a total of 64 points on Fugaku. "Sixty-Four palms!"

Hinata finished up the strikes with a strong palm-strike which sent the Uchiha leader flying back and into a cliff wall which sent a blinding dust up. The sealing teams were on their way and the Hyuga Heiress immediately created a Rasengan to make sure he was defeated. Charging chakra to her feet she launched herself right at him and threw the smoke...seeing a...surge of chakra starting at his eyes.

"RASENGAN!" Hinata yelled as she pushed her hand forward...and then hit what looked like a dark...red...barrier...that had...ribs? _No...don't...don't tell me..._

Instantly she crossed her arms and was crashed backwards as a giant, skeletal red arm battered her away like a fly. Hinata managed to regain her footing as through the dust and smoke she could see a massive...figure with glowing red eyes that surrounded Fugaku. She could even see with her Byakugan the mass of chakra flowing right through his eyes which formed this...

"...I commend you...its been a long time since I was able to use _this_ technique. I planned on bringing it out to fight Hiruzen and Danzo during the coup, but...my own eldest son stopped me," Fugaku said as he cracked his knuckles as his Susano'o flexed its arms, fully exposing it.

At the same moment, Kimimaro had just cut down several more Alliance ninja when he dodged two Hakke Kusho from Neji. The Shikotsumyaku user faced him and launched several bone bullets from his fingertips and the Hyuga genius used a Kaiten to deflect them all. When the Kaiten ended, Kimimaro and Neji charged each other at full speed.

Neji dodged the a stab from Kimimaro who had formed a blade of bone from his palm and began slashing and trying to hit him. His Byakugan flared and he charged chakra to his hand and met the thrust directly as the two passed each other. In a blinding flash both struck and a deep scratch appeared on the Hyuga genius' cheek...but the bone that Kimimaro had created was sent flying up until it embedded itself in a White Zetsu head.

"...impressive, you've actually broke the bone I created...its stronger than tempered steel," Kimimaro said as the ribcage and other bones on his chest and back withdrew into his body, and he then yanked an even stronger bone out of his shoulder and formed it into a sword. "This will require the Tsubaki no Mai (Dance of the Camellia) to deal with your impressive skills."

"No matter how much chakra you put into creating those bone weaponry, I'll just destroy them," Neji said confidently as he reentered a Jyuken stance.

The two charged each other at full speed as everything around them seemed to slow down. The Hyuga Genius and the Shikotsumyaku user both traded blows as in an elaborate dance. Neji drew a kunai and blocked the overhand spin slash that Kimimaro used and skid his foot back in a circle and then he pushed his hand forward and launched a Hakke Kusho at the Shikotsumyaku user. Reacting quickly Kimimaro slammed his bone blade into the ground and inverted himself to avoid the vacuum shell. He then grew blades of bone right from his knees, shoulders, elbows, and right from his palms again and instantly changed his style.

"Yagani no Mai (Dance of the Willow)," Kimimaro uttered calmly as Neji's eyes widened.

_This style..._ he crossed his arms and jumped back but it wasn't enough for him to get out of the way of spinning slashes that the Shikotsumyaku user unleashed. _Its very hard to predict...but...the way he's..._

Kimimaro then leaped off his original bone blade and began launching several swift jabs and slashes right at Neji who backtracked to avoid them. He then channeled his chakra over the surface of his skin and deflected-and shattered the first blade and opened up the Shikotsumyaku user's defense and unleashed a point-blank Kaiten. Kimimaro was buffeted by the rapidly spinning chakra defense that Neji put up and his Yagani no Mai bones were worn down and he was sent flying back.

Kimimaro then landed on his feet. "...you are highly skilled...to tell the truth you're the only person whose been really able to equal my taijutsu skills..."

"I should..." Neji said as he stopped spinning and withdrew a new kunai as an explosive tag exploded nearby. "I am Hyuga Neji of the Hyuga Clan, and I have surpassed everyone in it."

"And I am Kimimaro, Orochimaru-sama's instrument..." Kimimaro replied as Neji saw a mass of chakra explode from his chest...the Cursed Seal of Earth activated. Kimimaro's body turned ashen brown...he grew a saurian-like tail which had bony spines on it...his spine was now protruding and looking like spines and there were six, large rib-like bones on his back, two facing forward behind his shoulders, two facing both of his sides, and two facing back. "Here I come..."

Neji immediately began a Kaiten as Kimimaro charged at him at full speed, but even his defense was penetrated by the spikes on Kimimaro's back despite being worn down. The Shikotsumyaku user lifted his arm when the chakra defense shattered and smashed into the Hyuga Genius' back like Killer Bee's Lariat. Blood spat out of Neji's mouth as he was sent crashing and tumbling forward before he managed to jump back to his feet.

_So...that's his power of his cursed seal...even his bloodline gets enhanced..._ Neji thought as he wiped his lip. _I'll need Kaiten's stronger version to defend against anymore charges..._

At the same moment, Kiba and Akamaru skidded back after one of their Gatsuga was intercepted by a woman in dark red armor, with what looked like a boiler on her back. She cracked her neck, her reanimated green eyes focused right on the Inuzuka heir. Akamaru growled at her as his master tightened his grip on the Senpo Ryoga.

"I was expecting a far greater attack power in the Inuzuka so called 'Piercing Fang', I guess it doesn't live up to the hype."

"Hey don't make fun of me!" Kiba yelled as the steam burst from the boiler on the woman's back and she jumped right at him with a high speed kick.

"Pisuton Kikku (Piston Kick)!" she roared, the steam bursting from the boiler on her back to increase her speed.

Kiba sidestepped and spun with his Senpo Ryoga. "I'm one of the fastest shinobi of my generation armor girl, so you'll have to do better than that. Senpo Tsuga Ryoga (Whirlwind Piercing Wolf Fang)!"

His Tsuga's power was increased by the power and speed of his Senpo Ryoga and both merged as he jumped up and then went in a massive, spinning piercing attack right at the Edo Tensei woman. She scowled and crossed her arms and took the full force of the attack and crashed through several trees. Kiba landed as Akamaru barked next to him.

"Yeah, I can still smell her boy...that armor of her's sure is tough..."

"I take it back, that Gatsuga of yours is truly impressive. You managed to crack my Jōki no Yoroi (Steam Armor)," she said as the crack on her armor sizzled before regenerating from the Edo Tensei properties. "What is your name, boy? I am known as Hyakurin Umeko, former leader of Iwagakure's Steam Corps."

"Heh, I'm Inuzuka Kiba, sixteenth heir to the Inuzuka Clan and rival to Uzumaki Naruto himself for the title of Hokage! So don't you dare underestimate me!"

Umeko smirked. "I won't, Kiba-san. Though I hope you understand you'll have to face _my_ full power too. You're facing the woman who was put in charge of _Han_, the berserker Jinchuriki of the Gobi."

"Then bring it!" Kiba yelled as Akamaru barked. The Inuzuka heir tossed a soldier pill right into his ninken's mouth as he popped his own and their chakra increased to high amounts, so much so that Akamaru's fur turned red.

Umeko stomped her foot like sumo wrestler and the steam burst from her back. She then charged and drew her arms back. "Pisuton Panchi Rendan (Piston Punch Barrage)!"

She launched a wide ranged barrage of high speed punches from long range at Kiba while she shaped the steam around her fists. After shaping she launched the steam punches right at the Inuzuka heir who began dodging the barrage with Akamaru. They used their quick speed to dodge the barrage as she kept up the attack.

_Its like whenever I dodge, she just adds five more punches to the barrage...!_ Kiba thought as he began taking glancing blows despite avoiding the steam punches. _And she's punching at least 50 times per minute...!_

"If you keep dodging, you'll never defeat me...!" Umeko yelled as she added more and more punches and Kiba's eyes widened as a veritable _wall_ of steam punches smashed right into him and Akamaru.

Both of them cried out as they were sent crashing back and an explosion followed. Kiba panted and spat out some blood as he wiped his cheek. Akamaru shook his head as he jumped back onto his feet, the partners panted.

"This...isn't gonna be an easy fight...Akamaru...she's really strong..." Kiba said as Akamaru barked in affirmative.

"Which is why you should have waited for my backup," a familiar voice said from behind Umeko as a mass of Kikai insects swarmed at her from behind.

"Mushidama," Shino said as he landed, the mass of insects forming a sphere around the Steam Corps member and immediately began consuming her chakra before she could react.

"Shino! I had this under control!"

"Your injuries say otherwise, Kiba," Shino said calmly as he pushed up his glasses. "And if we don't finish up your fight soon, we won't be able to support Hinata in her battle. We are strongest as a full team, after all..."

"Grr alright that may be correct but..."

"Curious..." Shino then saw the steam bursting from 'cracks' in the Mushidama and his insects instinctively halted their attack. "It seems our opponent is far stronger than she lets on, that steam will make things difficult."

"Tell me about it..." Kiba said with a grumble.

The steam formed an even more solid armor around Umeko as her personality was completely crushed. She then let a burst of steam come off her back and she charged both Shino and Kiba at extremely high speeds with the fighting raging all around them.

**Land of Frost, Ambush Division mobile base**

In the lower country of the Land of Frost, Kankuro's Ambush Division had just finished setting up the traps after receiving the information that the first large-scale battle of the War had begun. Hoheto scanned the area with his Byakugan as Zaji used his sensory technique so they wouldn't be surprised. Ittan had finished setting up the layer of earthen walls which concealed the bombs Kankuro had set up, and Kankuro himself had just finished laying down the trip wires for every set of bombs and poison gas mines they had. His puppets were also out, he had added a new type called 'Kumo' or 'Spider' which was connected to each trip wire which would inform him whenever one was hit.

Omoi popped a new lollipop in his mouth as he glanced around. Having learned that the fighting had already started-especially in his sister Karui's division, had made him nervous. He was already going through worse-case scenarios in his head. He glanced at the sensor and Hyuga on the squad.

"Anything coming?"

"Not yet!" Zaji said with a grin. "If I pick..."

"Something is coming from 10 o'clock...its one of ours! From the Recon Squad...Aburame Muta!" Hoheto yelled as he watched Muta fly closer and closer on her summon.

"Sai, go up and greet her and help her find the our base camp," Kankuro ordered and Sai nodded.

"Understood," Sai said as he drew a new bird onto his scroll and animated it, and a few seconds later the ROOT ninja had flown off.

A few minutes later, Zaji was sensing movement coming from the east and Hoheto turned his Byakugan to see what was coming...when two large birds made of clay dove down. Zaji was right in the center of it as the clay birds then erupted in a massive explosion, the young Konoha sensor was completely obliterated. Hoheto crashed back to the center of the base camp covered in burns and was coughing up blood from the force of the explosion. Things moved in slow motion as a barrage of more, smaller birds were followed up from the sky as Ittan reacted the fastest and rose a massive wall to block the attack. Kankuro and Omoi immediately drew their weapons as the earth wall was shattered by the barrage of clay bombs and from the smoke nearly fifty human puppets wearing red cloaks burst through it.

"Crap!" Kankuro yelled as he summoned his Sasori puppet. "Kiri, heal Hoheto quickly!"

"On it!" Kiri yelled as he jumped over to the stricken Hyuga. Hoheto coughed up more blood right on his hands as they began glowing green. _Its no good...he has multiple punctured organs from being so close to that explosion!_

Omoi reacted first as he charged lightning into his katana and he did a spinning slash. "Kumo-Ryū Raikogiri (Cloud Style Lightning Beheading)!" and he unleashed a massive wave of lightning right at the mass of human puppets which slashed through several of them.

Kankuro then activated his Sasori puppet's flamethrowers and created a wave of flames which rendered over a dozen of the attacking human puppets to ash. Ittan finished up the combo by smashing two halves of a hill into the remaining marionettes. The three of them breathed quickly through their noses as Deidara and Sasori calmly flew through the smoke.

"Heh, looks like I got two this time Sasori-danna," Deidara said as he glanced at the dying Hoheto who continued to cough up blood. "And look, this one is mostly intact for your collection!"

"...though they did manage to counter the follow up..." Sasori glanced down at Kankuro who was readying himself. "Kankuro, you look like you've grown as a puppeteer. I hope you'll honor me with another showing of your skill."

"Sasori...this time I'll beat you," Kankuro said as he gritted his teeth. _With our sensors taken out, we don't know if they have reinforcements or if they are the only two enemies...and damn it it had to be them of all people..._

Sasori summoned _another_ fifty human puppets from the scroll that Kabuto had retrieved for him, connecting all of them to his fingertips. Deidara grinned madly and licked his lips...wondering who and what he should blow up next. It was at that same moment Hoheto's eyes darkened as the Caged Bird Seal activated on his forehead...and sealed his Byakugan away forever as he drew his last breath.

"Let us see your new skills, Kankuro," Sasori said calmly as he sent his mass of puppets right at the opposing Ambush Squad.

_To be continued..._

**Author's Note:**

Whew, I hope you all enjoyed the opening shots of the War. I worked really hard to make the battles interesting and give the neglected members of the alliance in canon some time to shine. I also hope you enjoyed Ittan's back story. Please, read and review.


	19. Keihatsu vs Mangekyo

Chapter 19: Puppeteer vs Puppeteer, Mangekyo vs Keihatsu

**Land of Frost, Ambush Division Mobile Base**

Sai flew next to Aburame Muta as they started the return approach to the mobile base that the Ambush Division was using. The two were sharing intel and Muta was learning that the rest of the Recon Squad hadn't reported in yet. She pursed her lips at that and her hand tensed a bit. Sai glanced a bit surprised of her reaction.

"Were you close to your squad, Muta-san?"

"Several of them were my friends, yes. It is...logical that I experience some grief if they have all been lost," Muta replied.

"...I see...I suppose Shino-san'd act in the same way," Sai said as they continued to fly.

They then felt the shockwave of an explosion from where the base camp was. Instantly, Sai and Muta picked up the pace and flew back towards the the camp. From the distance they could see two enormous slabs of stone rise up and smash what looked like puppets into dust. The ROOT shinobi's eyes narrowed as he picked up the pace on his animated bird.

At the base itself, the five shinobi squared off and waited for who to make the first move. Deidara smirked, his C2 Garuda still hovered right above Kankuro, Ittan, and Omoi. Electricity flowed through Omoi's blade as he prepared for the next attack. Sasori acted calmly as his puppets levitated around him from his chakra threads. Kankuro's eyes darted back and forth as he counted the puppets he had hidden for traps and weighed them against the miniature army that the master of the Red Secret Technique had brought to bare.

_I have two Sansh__ō__uo (Salamanders) hidden underground, five Karasu (Crows) in the trees, and three Kuroari (Black Ants) in strategic positions...as well as my Sasori puppet for main combat..._ Kankuro thought as the standoff continued. _Ittan's Dotons will seriously even the odds, but I think I might need to take out _those_ puppets to stand a chance against these numbers..._

"If you're not going to attack, why don't I?!" Deidara asked gleefully as he began to fire several C2 bombs right at the assembled shinobi.

Ittan flew through several seals and then slammed his hands down. "Doton: Chidōkaku (Earth Release: Moving Earth Core)!"

The ground underneath their feet as well as the surrounding area immediately shot nearly a hundred meters underground just in time for the C2 bomb to fly over their heads and detonate harmlessly in the forest behind them. Sasori's puppets then swarmed to them all of which brandished poison tipped swords are nearly impossible to block blades of pure chakra. Ittan did a seal and suddenly the sides of the depression he had created jutted out and smashed into half of the puppets but the other half were then pelted by Kankuro's Sasori puppet's flamethrowers. The walls then exploded as several dozen smaller C2 bombs in the shape of canaries flew towards them.

"Raiton: Ryu Hensei (Lightning Release: Dragon Formation)!" Omoi called out as he shaped the lightning around his blade into that of a large, serpentine dragon which slammed into the C2 bombs.

The C2 bombs sparked and were deactivated by the charge of Raiton that Omoi sent through them and Sasori who was preparing to summon more puppets got caught right in it. He winced as the chakra that controlled the clay bird he was flying on plummeted to the ground. He jumped off, his body feeling the numbing effects of the Raiton and he slipped off the wall before landing on his feet right in front of Kankuro.

"Time to join my puppet show, Sasori!" Kankuro yelled as from the ground one of his Sanshōuo puppets burst with its back open right around the puppet master. "Kurohigi: Sanshōuo (Black Secret Technique: Salamander)!" _Have to neutralize him fast...as of right now he's of a lower threat than his partner!_

_Damn it...the that blasted Ration..._ Sasori thought bitterly as he was then swallowed up fully by the Sanshōuo puppet.

"Not done yet!" Kankuro yelled as he flicked his fingers to a Kuroari in the trees and yanked it apart. "Kurohigi: Kugutsu Fuin no Jutsu (Black Secret Technique: Puppet Sealing Technique)!"

From slots in the Sanshōuo puppet the Kuroari's blades impaled Sasori from all sides before the head smashed down right on the Akatsuki puppet master inside. Sasori gave a cry of annoyance before feeling shock...a Sealing Tag had formed on Kuroari's head and wrapped around the Sanshōuo.

"That's one down..." Kankuro said as he glanced at the remaining puppets that Sasori had...which all fell lifelessly to the ground, and then to Omoi. "If it wasn't for that Raiton of yours, he wouldn't have been stunned enough for me to get him in that formation."

"Thanks, I didn't think it would work," he said as he slashed through two more bombs. "I was going through scenarios in my head if it didn't work, so I'm glad it succeeded."

Deidara frowned as he flew in. "Beaten already Sasori?! I thought you were stronger than me, but again we proved that I'm the stronger of us, and that my art's better!" he said with a laugh. His enhanced eye then noticed miniscule amounts of movement on the ground and he smirked. _And our assassin is in the perfect position to eliminate their medic, excellent_.

Kiri was trying to resuscitate the deceased Hoheto, sending electric shocks right into his body to try to restart his heart. He wasn't even aware of Shin's approach, much less heard the drawing of the blade. The Kirigakure medic was just so focused in trying to revive his patient he didn't even register the danger...

Suddenly there was a mass of insects attacking Deidara from all sides as a black-haired object bolted through the distraction. The mad bombing artist didn't even notice the object as he tried fighting off the kikai. Just as Shin was about to stab Kiri from behind...the object smashed right down on his neck and sent him crashing to the ground. Kankuro, Ittan, and Omoi glanced to see Sai now standing there, his blade drawn as his adopted brother jumped back-now perfectly visible.

"...your senses have improved a lot if you could notice me, little brother," Shin said as his body regenerated from the damage Sai had inflicted and a small smile appeared on his face. "...though it is good to see you again."

"...brother..." Sai said as he kept his cool. "...its good to see you again as well. And...I'm not the same trainee you mentored in ROOT."

"Then show it Sai..." Shin said as his Kamereon no Jutsu activated again. "Since I can't go easy on you with my body being controlled against my will."

Sai frowned and kept his hand on his blade as Deidara flew down-well crashed down. His C2 Dragon was now completely drained of chakra from being ambushed by Muta's Kikai swarm. Deidara snarled and reached into his pack and created a C1 bird and immediately took flight as Muta landed near her comrades-her swarm now fully fed.

**Lightning Country, Second Division Battlefield**

With the help of their Edo Tensei reinforcements, the superior numbers of White Zetsu slowly started to turn the tied against the Allied Shinobi Forces. Hyuga Hizashi and Hayate Gekko smashed into the Allied Shinobi ranks, killing several shinobi with their techniques while many individual members of the alliance struggled in their own battles against the other Edo Tensei summoned. Neji was being severely pressured by Kimimaro now due to the Shikotsumyaku user's Cursed Seal. Kiba and Shino were in the middle of a hard fight with the Steam Armor user Umeko. And as for Hinata, she was now facing Fugaku who had revealed his trump card...the Mangekyo Sharingan.

"How...?" Hinata whispered, her Byakugan indirectly looking at Fugaku's eyes...the design was similar to a curved, five pointed shuriken, with the 'star' colored red in a black pupil. The dark red Susano'o was now more visible as it batted the smoke away for it to be shown in full view. "How do you have the Mangekyo Sharingan, Fugaku-dono...?"

"...I'm surprised you know of my clan's secret Dojutsu," Fugaku said, his Susano'o's skeletal structure having finished in full now. In comparison to his son's, the skull had a leaner, narrower look compared to either of them, and lacked the horns that Sasuke's had. Instead it had a spike on the chin, and like the other two Susano'o's in the family it had three forearms, two connected to the left arm. "I suppose Itachi told Konoha all about the Mangekyo after completing his mission, isn't that right?"

"...actually Kakashi-sensei had to fight him several times while he was working for the organization that resurrected you, Fugaku-dono..." Hinata replied and Fugaku laughed.

"Is that so...I guess he didn't stay long in Konoha. Now Sasuke, is he fighting on another front? Or did Danzo kill him?" Fugaku asked as his Susano'o formed two sickle-swords and brandished them in front of Hinata. "Though I suppose it doesn't matter..."

With that, Fugaku's Susano'o surged forth and gave somewhat of a roar. Hinata jumped right out of the way of the giant blade that slashed the ground and killed two White Zetsus that were about to attack her from behind. She used a mid air Hakke Kusho to get her out of the range of a diagonal slash and then saw the Uchiha leader finish a few seals. He then blew out a massive fireball from his mouth as Hinata landed.

"Kaiten!" Hinata called out as she spun rapidly as her chakra formed a defensive dome to deflect the massive fireball and sent the flames crashing around in all directions. As her Kaiten slowed down Fugaku appeared with his Susano'o and he launched a punch right at her and sent her flying back and she crashed right into several Alliance shinobi. _The...striking power...ow..._

Blood dribbled down her forehead as she pushed herself back up and Kurotsuchi helped her up since she had crashed next to her. "Hinata-chan, are you alright?!"

"Yeah, I'm-move!" Hinata started before pushing the Tsuchikage's granddaughter with her right out of the way of Fugaku's Susano'o's fist.

"Running away, little Hyuga?!" Fugaku taunted as his Susano'o slashed horizontally and bisected several Allied Shinobi who moved to stop him.

Hinata back flipped with Kurotsuchi and she drew her hands back. "Hakke Kusho Rendan (Eight Trigrams Air Palm Barrage)!" she yelled and launched several Hakke Kusho's consecutively right at Fugaku's Susano'o.

The barrage smashed into it and the Uchiha leader skidded back. Her eyes widened when she realized that despite her technique hitting the Susano'o, it didn't even dent it! Hinata breathed in and out through her nose quickly as Kurotsuchi then did her own seals.

"Yoton: Sekkaigyō no Jutsu (Lava Release: Quicklime Congealing Technique)!" Kurotsuchi called out and spat out the quicklime type of lava from her mouth that hit Fugaku's Susano'o. It splattered over its chest and arms, but it didn't cause damage.

Fugaku smirked. "I was expecting something more, isn't Yoton supposed to be hot...?"

"Not done yet jackass!" Kurotsuchi yelled as she flew through the seals. "Katon: Furasshu Chori no Jutsu (Fire Release: Flash Cooking Technique)!"

She took a deep breath and then shot a stream of nearly white flames out of her mouth that bathed the Susano'o. The Uchiha leader had to raise his hand to shield his eyes from the blinding flames that Kurotsuchi had shot at him. When he lowered, he noticed that his Susano'o again was undamaged by the sheer heat of the flame.

"Was that your best shot, girl?" Fugaku started as he went to attack with Susano'o...but found its arms were having trouble moving. "...what?!"

"Heh...quicklime is a type of lava that hardens rapidly. Normally, I'd let it do it like that...but given the strength of that technique of yours I decided that putting it through a...oven of sorts. That quicklime is now super hard!" Kurotsuchi announced with a grin as the shinobi behind her and Hinata readied their techniques. "Now hammer him!"

Several Katons were launched, followed by a dozen Raitons and Suitons. There was a massive explosion-strong enough to completely demolish one of the huge skyscrapers in Amegakure, followed the attacks impact but Fugaku's Susano'o was just minimally damaged by it. A few cracks had appeared on the bones but it was no worse for wear. Much to his annoyance as well the only the quicklime on his Susano'o's chest had been destroyed, not on the arms.

Fugaku grunted as his nearly immobile Susano'o was set skidding back from the barrage and a dozen Kumo and Konoha shinobi jumped at him with weapons drawn as Iwa and Kiri shinobi from behind them hammered his Susano'o with long ranged attacks. The Uchiha leader's eyes narrowed...and his right eye began to bleed.

"Amaterasu," he then uttered as he jumped in his Susano'o...and hit the Kumo and Konoha Shinobi that had begun their attack with the inextinguishable black flames. _...Madara was right about the power of these eyes..._ he thought as he landed, any vision strain being repaired by his Edo Tensei state.

_It was nearly a year before the Uchiha Massacre, Fugaku was leading a team of Uchiha Military Police and ANBU in investigating a series of murders. Despite the increasing tensions between the Uchiha Clan and the rest of the village, at the time Fugaku was hopeful a settlement could be made. The last thing that he and the rest of the Uchiha wanted was War._

_He landed on one of the buildings in the 'inner ring' of the village and he was joined by Uchiha Heisei who was his best friend since childhood. Heisei was a tall man with raven-black hair that reached down to his waist. He wore it as a pony-tail so it wouldn't get in the way when he fought, and also on his cheek was a scar he had received in the Third Shinobi World War. He gave a smirk at the Uchiha Leader._

"_So who do you think is doing these murders, eh Fugaku?" Heisei asked as he took a cigarette out of his pack, lit the tip with a Katon on his finger and began to savor the nicotine flow._

"_...I thought you were quitting those," Fugaku said as he pursed his lips. "...from what the autopsies have told us, the victims were killed via a extremely powerful genjutsu."_

_Heisei coughed in surprise at that. "Genjutsu? But everyone knows genjutsu can't kill due to it being solely an illusion!"_

"_...stranger things have happened, Heisei. Our clan's disgraced Founder was known for his genjutsu- strong enough to even kill a person with just a glance of his Sharingan...or his Mangekyo Sharingan."_

"_Pfft, that may be true Fugaku but Madara has been dead for over four decades now! Maybe the autopsy was screwed up in some ways?"_

"_Unlikely," Fugaku said as he glanced at an ANBU he recognized landing on another building a dozen meters away...it was his eldest son, Itachi. _...I wonder if you're coming to the same conclusion Itachi...

_Fugaku's eyes narrowed as he recalled the night of the Kyubi Attack, when he and most of the clan was thrown on a wild goose chase. It had conveniently drawn them away from the village and left it vulnerable...and by the end Fugaku had seen a man in a mask appear literally out of nowhere who had only one arm and many wounds on his body, congratulate them on their efforts, and tossed their deceased quarry. And upon the return of Konoha, he learned his friend and rival, the Yondaime Hokage Namikaze Minato was deceased as well as his wife Kushina, and whats more the Uchiha Clan came under suspicion. _

"_Fugaku?" Heisei asked and glanced over at his friend and leader. "You doing well?"_

"_Yes, I just have a lot on my mind."_

"_Well, we should get going to the next sector," Heisei said as he blew out some smoke from his mouth before he dropped the spent cigarette and stomped on it to put it out._

_In a flash, the two leaped off the building and began fanning out as they started to look for more evidence. After several hours, they weren't able to find anything even with the ANBU aid in the investigation. However, one of the ANBU spotted some movement in one of the parks in Konoha, and Heisei and Fugaku went to check it out. They found signs of a struggle, leading into the forest themselves and jumped into the trail._

"_Keep your guard up, Heisei," Fugaku said as his Sharingan activated and they leaped through the trees._

"_Don't have to tell me twice Fugaku!" Heisei said as he leaped onto a branch, charged chakra through it as he activated his Sharingan and leaped off it, snapping the branch in half so they would lead a trail for the rest of their men to follow as well as the ANBU. "...you don't think that Orochimaru may be doing this?"_

"_...that's a possibility too...that bastard probably still has hideouts we didn't find during our investigation with Hokage-sama around the Village..."_

_Heisei suppressed a gulp. "Lets hope its someone we can handle then..."_

_Shortly, they reached a clearing and found a woman slumped against a tree, her hands...they looked like they were made **part**_ _of the trunk. Heisei knelt by her and checked her pulse. Closing his eyes, he shook his head as Fugaku got a closer look...both of the woman's eyes were wide open and blood was trickling down them. _

"_...with the exception of the...arms embedded in the surroundings, its all the same method of death of the previous victims," Fugaku said as Heisei looked around and tried to find anymore evidence._

_Behind them a man with long, spiky black hair appeared out of a swirling vortex. He was wearing a orange mask with strange designs on it, and he had a sword on his back. Taking a step, both Uchiha policeman's ears twitched and they jumped back._

"_I knew if I committed enough murders that I'd get the Uchiha Military Police involved in this case," the masked man said coolly and began walking forward._

"_You're the one whose..." Heisei uttered in anger as his Sharingan seemed to spin in response to his age._

"_Yes, since it was the best way I could lure Fugaku-san out for a little talk that is needed," the masked man said as Heisei lifted his hands._

"_...careful Heisei," Fugaku warned as he looked at the mask. "...you're the man from the night of the Kyubi Attack..."_

"_Indeed," the masked man's eye almost looked like a sadistic smirk._

"_One more reason we have to take you in!" Heisei yelled as he flew through the seals. "Katon: Kaen Ori Kabe (Fire Release: Flame Cage Wall)!"_

_Fugaku leaped up as Heisei slammed his hands down and from the ground a massive wall of flames circled around the masked man who looked bored. He then slowly began walking towards the source of the flames. Heisei then jumped back as the cage completely formed and the masked man was seemingly trapped. The Uchiha smirked and took out a kunai and some bindings to take the murderer in. _

"_Heh, just give up!"_

"_A very impressive Katon, against anyone else-they may have trouble escaping. As for me?" the masked man then walked towards the flaming cage...took off in a sprint and jumped right into them. He passed through them...without even getting singed! Heisei was then kneed in the face by him, sending him crashing into the tree and he nearly crushed the dead woman's body. _

_Fugaku snarled and he charged flames through several shuriken and tossed them right at the masked man. They passed through his body like nothing as Heisei jumped and avoided red hot star-shaped blades. He wiped the blood off his nose as he jumped at the masked man with a kunai in his hand and managed to get a hold of him._

"_Fugaku, finish him off! I'll keep hold of him!"_

_Fugaku flew through the seals and lowered his hand as he focused fire into his fist and soon it was covered in a dark red flame that ignited the ground below him despite not being in direct contact. He looked up slowly as he charged chakra to his feet._

"_Katon: Inferuno Kobushi (Fire Release: Inferno Fist)!" Fugaku called out as he charged right at full speed at the Masked Man and Heisei. _

"_Ah...that style, similar to Hatake Kakashi's Chidori isn't it, or is the Rasengan you modeled it after?" the masked man asked nonchalantly as the Uchiha leader's eyes burned. _

_He crossed the distance in barely an instant and punched out with his flaming fist right at the masked man's stomach. However...he just...passed **right through** his body and before he could pull back his Inferuno Kobushi smashed right into Heisei's chest and threw it. His friend gave a bloodcurdling cry of pain as he was then ignited from the inside by the flames. _

"_HEISEI!" Fugaku yelled as the masked man calmly sidestepped and his eye's 'smile' seemed to grow. The Uchiha Leader hastily yanked his hand out of his best friend's chest...but it was too late...Heisei dropped to his knees and his body was completely incinerated._

"_Ah...that's the difference!" the masked man said with a sadistic smirk behind his mask. "When the fist impales the target, it ignites it from the inside! A very excruciating way to go!"_

"_You...you bastard...who are...?" Fugaku whispered as he lifted his hand to his head...his eyes...the Sharingan slowly began rotating until a new design...of a five-pointed star with curves appeared, colored red surrounded by black. "Who the hell are you?!_

"_Oh, forgive me for not introducing myself Fugaku-dono," the masked man said as his Sharingan fully came into view for Fugaku. "I am Uchiha Madara..."_

The memories of that night ignited a raging fire inside Fugaku's stomach. Hinata could see a chakra spike as he closed his eyes and then opened them, and his Susano'o responded by throwing its arms back and roared which shattered the hardened quicklime that was restraining it. Skin and clothing began to wrap around Fugaku's Susano'o as on his left a circular shield formed with two long spears connected behind it. The face and body of Susano'o looked somewhat to a tribal warrior and then finally, the last part of the Uchiha Leader's Susano'o literally _swallowed_ it to give it a set of armor that had two 'horns' at the helmet. It grabbed the spear and flames were charged through it.

_Since that day, I became Madara's lapdog..._ Fugaku thought bitterly. _And my clan was led to RUIN because of that bastard! If its the _last_ thing I do it'll be killing that **monster**!_

Kurotsuchi gulped. "Sasuke's Susano'o only became like that after fighting Naruto..." she whispered a bit, stepping back as several ninja landed to help support them.

"We can't give up," Hinata said as her Byakugan flared at Fugaku. "If we give up against him, how do you expect we'll defeat Akatsuki?"

"Right, but this guy may be a bit out of our league..." Kurotsuchi said as several Kumo Ninja charged Raitons and shot them right at the giant, menacing chakra construct.

Fugaku calmly had his Susano'o lift its newly formed shield and blocked the Raitons without any damage being received. Two Kumo Ninja charged Raiton and Katons into their swords and leaped at the Susano'o and slashed...and their blades broke on the armor despite the elemental enhancement. They were then cut in half...and ignited by the blade at the tip of the spear.

"I don't give up, that's my ninja way...and I'm going to _win_!" Hinata yelled as her Byakugan changed into the Keihatsu Byakugan and the Eien Kaiten burst around her body as she leaped in front of Kurotsuchi to block the spear that was thrown by Fugaku.

White chakra smoke began wafting off of Hinata's left side of her face as Fugaku blinked in surprise. The Hyuga Heiress assumed a Jyuken stance in her Eien Kaiten and leaped right at him and smashed into the center of the Susano'o. The Uchiha Leader grunted and was sent skidding back, and a small crack appeared in Susano'o's armor.

"...now this is impressive, you're able to use the Kaiten _while moving_ and without spinning..." Fugaku commented as Hinata landed and his Susano'o lashed out with a fresh spear and stabbed the spinning dome twice. Each time the Eien Kaiten was hit a white smoke wafted off her body. "Though you'll have to do a lot better than that!"

With that, he sheathed the spear and drew his Susano'o back, which launched a smashing, bone crushing punch right at Hinata's Kaiten. She crossed her arms inside to brace herself. The Eien Kaiten _warped_ from the sheer force of Susano'o's blow, but also stripped the outer layer of armor off of the chakra construct's knuckles and the white smoke increased around her body. The strain from the blow however made Hinata fly back and crash into a cliff where heavy fighting was still raging, her Eien Kaiten barely protecting her from the falling stones, shinobi, and Zetsu that crashed on her from the impact. She panted and felt a bit disorientated from the blow.

_Just...how much strength does the Susano'o even have?!_ Hinata thought as Fugaku shunshined over and battered away the Zetsu and Shinobi who were around the Hyuga Heiress. Her Kaiten was battered again and again which carved the ground out around her.

"FIGHT ME, HINATA!" Fugaku demanded before with a final blow with his Susano'o's shield, her Eien Kaiten shattered and he then grabbed her one of Susano'o's giant hands. "Now I'll end this..."

He forced her into eye contact and their Dojutsu eyes met, and his left eye cast the jutsu. "_Magen: Sharingan (Demonic Illusion: Sharingan)!_"

Hinata gasped as she was thrown into the illusion and her own right eye flashed. "Magen: Kagami...Do (Demonic Illusion: Mirror Eye)!" she uttered on sheer instinct...and Fugaku found _himself_ inside his own genjutsu and being impaled from all sides by giant blades. His illusionary self spat out blood in sheer surprise and was impaled twice over from the effect he cast of his own illusion.

_HOW...did she do that...?! She...she made me the subject of my own genjutsu?!_ Fugaku thought as as in the real world, his Susano'o dropped Hinata from its grasp who crawled back, the white smoke started to swirl around her again. "...that...I didn't expect...similar to that of the Sharingan's own Magen: Kyō Tenchi-ten (Demonic Illusion: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change)..."

"...if it makes you feel any better, I didn't know...about it either...still getting used to the Keihatsu..." Hinata replied and picked herself back up to her feet.

The smoke then began to glow as the Eien Kaiten reconstructed itself...before it shaped itself into a...ribcage around Hinata who blinked. The Kaiten itself formed the basis...of a chakra construct as all the white smoke that had been built up from the attacks on it entered to shape the chakra into a giant, light-blue colored chakra construct the same size as Susano'o. Hinata realized...that the 'smoke'...was a type of chakra...Yoton (Yang Release) chakra had been released with each hit that the Eien Kaiten had received.

"This...this is..." Hinata whispered as the chakra construct formed into a giant skeleton...as skin and finally samurai-esque like armor and in its hands carried a staff similar to that of a monk as well as a net that had a glowing hum off it. "Hoderi-no-Mikoto..."

Fugaku's eyes narrowed. "...Hoderi...one of the Hyuga's Guardian Deities..since when is that a technique the Byakugan can use?"

"...I could ask the same thing about the Sharingan summoning Susano'o itself to protect you," Hinata retorted as she fully stood up inside her Hoderi. "Now we're on an even playing field..."

"Then lets see how long you can maintain this technique, I have unlimited stamina and chakra in this form, you do not!" Fugaku charged Hinata again and his Susano'o reformed a sword instead of using one of its spears and he slashed at her.

Hinata blocked with the staff that her Hoderi had made, the shockwave of the clash blew several White Zetsus away. The Uchiha Leader began fierce series of strikes which sent the Hyuga Heiress completely on the defensive and made her step back again and again. Her staff reformed slightly into a giant Guan Dao with the priest-rings hanging from the 'neck' and she spun within her Hoderi. The giant chakra construct responded to her movement and slashed out and hit Susano'o's side with such force the armor was cracked and splintered. Fugaku gasped and stepped back as Hinata surged forward with her next attack.

"TAKE THIS!" Hinata yelled and stabbed forward with the Guan Dao which was deflected by the Uchiha Leader's shield.

Fugaku then smashed her Hoderi hard with a punch from the lower left fist and Hinata skidded back, her chakra construct's armor cracked as he followed up with a diagonal slash which made her drop to her knee. Reacting quickly, Hinata tossed the chakra net over Fugaku's Susano'o which began sending jolts of chakra right through it. The Susano'o seemed to howl as its own power from its previous attacks was sent charging right back through it.

_This...is the end...!_ Hinata thought as she panted in exhaustion, drawing her hand back as Hoderi mimicked her, and she thrusts her palm forward. "JYUKEN (Gentle Fist)!"

Hoderi smashed its palm hard into the recovering Susano'o and right through the crack on its chest. Due to Jyuken being utilized, Fugaku's chakra construct howled as it shattered like glass and he was forced to withdraw it. Hinata's own Hoderi shuddered and disappeared, and the Uchiha Leader in a last act of desperation charged flames to his fist.

"Katon: Inferuno Kobushi!" he yelled, his fist covered in dark red flames as Hinata drew her hand back.

"Rasengan!" Hinata yelled and formed a Rasengan with her chakra and both of them charged at each other and pushed their attacks forward.

Fugaku growled as his fist was stopped by the Rasengan and both tried to overpower each other. Hinata cried out and took one more step forward...and overpowered the Inferuno Kobushi. The Uchiha's eyes widened in surprise before his fist was obliterated into ash and paper and the Hyuga Heiress smashed the Rasengan right into his stomach and sent him spinning and crashing into and through a nearby boulder. Hinata dropped to her knee, panting as reinforcements arrived, Kurotsuchi helped her up.

"Wow that was amazing Hinata-chan! You beat that guy!" she said with a grin and Hinata gave a thumb's up like Naruto would.

"He...was strong though...who'd have thought he'd have Susano'o...and the Mangekyo Sharingan anyway," Hinata asked aloud as the sealers moved in and wrapped the regenerating Uchiha Leader before he could get back into fighting shape before a Sealing Tag was put on it. Kurotsuchi handed Hinata a soldier pill so her chakra reserves and stamina would be restored. "Thank you Kurotsuchi-chan."

"No problem! The battle's still not over yet, so come on!" Kurotsuchi said as Hinata swallowed the pill, feeling her strength restored and she leaped off with the rest of the Allied Shinobi to engage Akatsuki's forces.

At the same time, Neji was desperately trying to fight back against the powered up Kimimaro. With Kimimaro's Cursed Seal level 2, all of his techniques were increased in power to an extremely high amount. The Hyuga genius blocked, dodged, but found himself unable to counter attack. The Shikotsumyaku user spun and slammed his tail right into Neji's chest and sent him skidding back.

"Your movements seem to be slowing, Hyuga," Kimimaro said as he jumped sideways and threw out his hand as his fingers split open. "Teshi Sendan (Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets)."

"Kaiten!" Neji retorted as he spun and created a shield of chakra and deflected the finger bullets that were shot at him by Kimimaro.

Kimimaro in response began to charge him at full speed again just as the rotation ended. He bit his thumb and did the seals before he slammed his hand down and summoned a tortoise with a large defensive shell which was able to block the Shikotsumyaku user's slash and Kimimaro leaped back. Neji jumped up and pushed his hands forward.

"Hakke Kūhekishō (Eight Trigrams Air Palm Wall)!" he yelled and launched an stronger version of the Hakke Kusho right at the Shikotsumyaku user.

Kimimaro grunted as he was sent flying back by the Hakke Kūhekishō, and he smashed through several trees, a large boulder, and was embedded in a cliff-face nearby but was still pushed _threw_ it. When the rest of the Air Palm Wall smashed into the cliff-face it completely obliterated it as well. Neji landed, his Byakugan showed that Kimimaro hadn't been damaged enough for sealing and was already regenerating. From the hole that was gouged out by the Hakke Kūhekishō Kimimaro came walking out, the spikes on his back regenerating as the scar on his chest stitched itself back together.

"That was an impressive move," Kimimaro said as he bent forward as his spine then popped out and he pulled it all out which he used for a whip. "However, this is the end of our duel. Tessenka no Mai: Tsuru (Dance of the Clematis: Vine)."

Kimimaro then took off towards Neji at high speed, lashing out with his spinal whip to force the Hyuga Genius to jump back and avoid it. The Shikotsumyaku user then jumped sideways and began striking out with his whip like a giant buzz saw and making it nearly impossible for Neji to counter attack. The Hyuga Genius' Byakugan then noticed the chakra concentrating in Kimimaro's left arm...and bones sprouted out from it and formed a large, drill shape covering.

_This is bad!_ Neji thought as he jumped back and knelt down for a half second and removed something from his legs.

Kimimaro capitalized on that and then pushed forward with his drill bone. "Tessenka no Mai: Hana (Dance of the Clematis: Flower)."

He slammed the Tessenka no Mai: Hana forward just as Neji's speed increased and he sidestepped it in time to avoid being impaled and turned to counter attack. However, the sheer speed of the thrust meant the Hyuga Genius wasn't able to completely avoid it and his flak jacket was torn off and he got a series of lacerations on his stomach and chest. Undaunted Neji then did several seals and took a deep breath.

"Suiton: Mizurappa (Water Release: Water Wall)!" Neji yelled and he charged chakra through the water with Jyuken and sent it smashing into a stunned Kimimaro.

The water wall smashed into the Shikotsumyaku user and sent him hurdling off and through a few trees and White Zetsu clones. Neji breathed in and out and spat out a bit of blood from the lacerations he sustained on his chest as he assumed...a Goken (Strong Fist) stance. Kimimaro came walking back, his neck was bent at an unnatural angle as paper and ash regenerated the damage he sustained from Neji's Jyuken enhanced Mizurappa.

"...that stance," Kimimaro commented as he met Neji eye for eye. "...so you're that green cloaked ninja's peer?"

"I am Rock Lee's teammate and friend, you mean," Neji replied calmly as he entered the first gate. "Kaimon (Gate of Opening)!" Chakra was released from Neji's reserves as Kimimaro recreated his spinal whip. "Kyūmon (Gate of Rest)!" Neji's skin then turned red and his eyes started to become even more white, green and blue colored chakra swirled around him. "Seimon (Gate of Life)!" A bit of blood dripped from Neji's nose as he pushed himself further. "Shōmon (Gate of Pain)!" And finally he managed to straighten up. "Tomon (Gate of Limit)!"

"...impressive, Hachimon, Orochimaru-sama always was interested in that taijutsu skill, and you're able to open five of them?" Kimimaro asked him as his he slashed the ground with his whip.

"Heh...Rock Lee is better than I am...he can enter _six_ in an instant...and even open the seventh like Gai-sensei," Neji said as time seemed to slow down between the two taijutsu masters.

"Indeed...lets go."

The ground cracked, splintered, and burst when Neji launched himself like a rocket at Kimimaro. The Shikotsumyaku user mirrored the action less spectacularly however he increased himself to a high speed. The two darted between the battlefield as they traded blows or blocked and dodged and most ninja and Zetsus could only hear the clashes before seeing the shockwaves in the air and the battlefield, or were blown away by both taijutsu masters reappearing.

Neji gritted his teeth as he blocked Kimimaro's punch and then vanished at high speed as the Shikotsumyaku user lashed the whip out and cut through a tree, two White Zetsus and three Alliance shinobi. The gates then enhanced his Kaiten as he reappeared behind Kimimaro and unleashed one that was even larger than a Chou Kaiten. Kimimaro was buffeted by the chakra and managed to spin to catch his footing back

The Shikotsumyaku user then charged and created a Tessenka no Mai: Hana again which pierced the giant Kaiten and he charged right at Neji at full speed. The Hyuga Genius dodged at the last microsecond and unleashed a kick with his own chakra charged into it which shattered the strongest bone that Kimimaro created. Kimimaro leaped back and shot Teshi Sendan right back at Neji who darted back and forth between them.

Kimimaro then jumped up and nailed Neji right in the jaw with his knee and the Hyuga Genius flew backwards as blood flew from his lips. He then while in mid air pushed both feet out and launched Hakke Kusho right from them and smashed right into the Shikotsumyaku user. Kimimaro crossed his arms and blocked with a layer of bone on his skin which was torn away by the gate enhanced Hakke Kusho.

_Need to...end this now!_ Neji thought as he landed and felt every muscle in his body start to rip and tear from the use of the gates.

Kimimaro was already charging to meet him as Neji assumed a strange stance. "Whatever you do, it'll be useless."

"Jyuken: Hakke Rokujūyon Sentō (Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Punches)!" Neji yelled and he closed his hands into tight fists. Kimimaro blinked as he entered Neji's divination as he used all of his speed to launch his attack. "Two punches!" he smashed two fists hard against Kimimaro's skin and he skidded back. "Four punches!" he then punched the Shikotsumyaku user at four tenkatsu places at high speed. "Eight punches!" another eight punches smashed into Kimimaro's body as he gasped in surprise. "Sixteen punches!" Kimimaro had attempted to create a under layer of bone armor to guard against the next set as sixteen tenkatsu were hit. "Thirty-two punches!" Neji's fists were a blur as he hit another thirty-two tenkatsu with his fists. "_**SIXTY-FOUR PUNCHES!**_" He roared and finished the combo and hit all sixty-four tenkatsu points over again before finishing with a punch that literally embedded itself in Kimimaro's stomach.

Kimimaro cried out as he crashed into a boulder and embedded himself in it. He tried to move...and from each of the tenkatsu points the chakra seemed to burst and his body started to be blown apart from the inside out. It was momentarily outpacing the Edo Tensei regeneration as the Shikotsumyaku user cried out as the top of his head blew apart into ash and paper. When it was over, the regeneration began anew and Kimimaro weakly looked at Neji as the sealers arrived.

"...I...see...in the gates...you can...force your chakra in at such a high rate that when you...complete your attack...the target's body is destroyed from the inside out..." Kimimaro said as he glanced at the sealers who were getting ready with their cloth. "...I'd never think such a thing was possible..."

Neji dropped to his knees, spitting out blood as two medical ninja jumped at him to help his healing. "...I developed it...to combat Akatsuki...you're the first person I tried it against...I guess it's a success..."

"...it is...I respect you, Hyuga Neji," Kimimaro said as the sealers tossed their cloth at him...but it was blocked by a coffin that raised around the Shikotsumyaku user. "...but apparently, Orochimaru-sama has more need of me."

The coffin slammed shut before the ninja could react and disappeared. Neji coughed up blood as two medical ninja arrived and began to heal him with their hands glowing green. The Hyuga Genius panted and lifted his hand up and wiped the blood off his lip.

At another part of the battle, Kiba and Shino were still engaging Umeko. She unleashed a wave of steam which repelled the Aburame's insects due to the extreme heat, and then she spun and smashed her heel right into the Inuzuka's stomach and sent him crashing into Akamaru. Kiba winced, he had heard a crack in that blow.

_Damn it, she broke one of my ribs..._

Steam burst from Umeko's back and she launched herself right at Shino with a flying side kick. The Aburame barely dodged, the shockwave from the kick sent him skidding back as his skin started to turn purple. The steam armor user smashed her foot into the ground and did several seals.

"Jōki Funka Deguchi (Steam Eruption Vent)!" Umeko yelled as right from under Shino's feet a blast of super heated steam hit him.

"Shino!" Kiba yelled as Shino then burst into a White Zetsu which took the full force of the heat and the Aburame appeared right behind Umeko and slammed his fist right into her face and she skidded back. _Phew...he used a substitution..._

Shino frowned as he jumped back as his nano-insects began to work on Umeko's cheek. _I need to see the effectiveness these insects have on an Edo Tensei so I can formulate future strategies..._

Umeko then felt her skin bubbling as the insects spread throughout her body like a fast acting poison. She dropped to her knee and gritted her teeth as the Edo Tensei regeneration started to repair the damage as quickly as it occurred. She looked up as Kiba leaped at her as he began to rapidly spin...and he switched it.

"Gatenga (Fang Rotating Fang)!" he yelled as he spun like a buzz saw and smashed right into Umeko.

Sparks flew off her armor as he tried cutting through it with his sister's technique. Umeko then charged up more steam and punched him right as his spin ended...having been unable to get through her thick armor. Her fist smashed into his arm and there was a terrible crack which was heard as he was crashed away.

"...you're a persistent little pest aren't you?" Umeko asked as half her face returned to normal while the other half experienced the poison. "But with that arm, you won't be fighting for a while."

Kiba glanced down...his left arm had been hit. A _blinding_ pain hit him as he noticed that the bone was poking out of his bicep and he let out a bloodcurdling scream that got his sister's attention. Hana and the Haimaru brothers turned to help when they were intercepted by nearly three dozen White Zetsus who blocked their path. Hana growled and she began to fight off the horde of Zetsus that had intercepted her, slashing through them with her newly formed claws. Shino's eyes widened behind his glasses.

"Kiba!" Shino yelled uncharacteristically as he leaped to his comrade to inspect the wound. "Kiba, take your hand off I need to see how bad it is."

"I...I'll ignore it! We still have to take this _bitch_ down!" Kiba said as he stood up. "Her armor was about to give way with that last attack...I need to do my strongest technique to get through Shino. You keep her busy."

Shino nodded. "...very well."

With that, Shino's swarm wafted off his body like smoke as Umeko cracked her neck. Since there wasn't permanent, lasting damage to her armor that required regeneration, the mark that Kiba's Gatenga had made was still there. Steam burst from the stove on her back as her chakra responded to Shino's challenge. Shino did two seals.

"Tayju Mushi Bushin no Jutsu (Multiple Insect Clone Technique)," Shino said as from the mass of insects...the Aburame created nearly three dozen clones and there were still more insects swarming in the air above them. "Lets go."

"Come, and you'll see the folly of fighting me," Umeko said as she jumped right at Shino and his army of clones.

Kiba jumped onto Akamaru with his good arm as Shino's clones met Umeko and began attacking all at once. "Alright bud, we're gonna do the Jinjū Konbi Henge: Sōtōrō (Human Beast Combination Transformation: Double-Headed Wolf), its the only attack strong enough to pierce through that armor," Akamaru whimpered in concern for his partner's arm. "Don't worry buddy, I'll just form the back legs, you'll handle the front legs...Shino can't hold the steam user forever so lets get started!"

Akamaru barked as Shino's clones were dispersed one by one by Umeko who began to create several steam vents to thin their numbers. However new ones just kept replacing the ones that were defeated as Shino himself joined the fray and began to obscure the steam armored kunoichi's vision with a cloud of Kikai. She gritted her teeth, launching a blast of steam directly from her hand to disperse the cloud as the Aburame smashed his fist into her cheek to inject more nano-insects into body.

_Not these things again!_ Umeko snarled as she smashed her fist hard into Shino to make him fly back.

The Aburame wiped the blood off his lip as he kept the swarm attack while glancing back at his teammate as a huge burst of smoke signaled that Kiba was ready. Shino moved his hands to block Umeko's vision completely as Kiba's Sōtōrō slammed its paw down on a White Zetsu that attempted to attack and crushed it.

Umeko yelled as she shot more steam away as Kiba began his charge with Akamaru in the Sōtōrō. "Alright Akamaru...Garōga (Fang Wolf Fang)!"

They jumped into the air and began a rapidly spinning drill-like movement with an extremely sharp point. Shino commanded his swarm to disperse when Umeko was just about to be hit. Due to the poisonous nano-insects impeding her full movement she was hit with the full force of the Garōga. She cried out as her armor began cracking and splinting by the rapidly spinning two-headed wolf.

"I...I can't stop this...!" she cried out as she remembered her death...

_It was nearly 20 years ago...during the Third Shinobi World War. Han and Umeko were sent after the A-Bee brothers in an attempt to eliminate the line of succession in Kumogakure. Both teams were standing in a forested area in the Land of Waterfalls, yet another battlefield of the massive worldwide War. _

_The future Raikage looked up. "...you again huh?" he asked as his Raiton no Yoroi burst off his body. "Didn't you learn your lesson last time?"_

"_...I will...kill you this time..." Han said with a snarl as steam burst from his body. "It is...my mission...and I've accepted it!"_

"_...very well, if you're this determined I'll defeat you yet again," A said as the lightning whipped and sizzled around his body. "Bee, keep his partner busy so she doesn't interfere!"_

"_On it brotha', it won't be a botha'! With Number Eight I'll take her straight down so don't frown my main bro! Whee!" Bee said as he took out his swords._

_The wind blew into a fierce gale which blew leaves all around the area. The second it stopped, both A and Han charged each other at high speeds. They met, punch for punch right in the center of the clearing and the impact of both their punches colliding sent a shockwave that carved a large crater under their feet. They broke apart and A pumped more chakra into his Raiton no Yoroi as Han gave a roar and steam burst like smoke from a wildfire from his back. _

_There were several more impacts between them, Umeko was having trouble following their movements as both the Gobi Jinchuriki and future Raikage kept going faster and faster. There was even a red outline around Han's body as he accessed his Biju's power and he entered the initial state. Trees were demolished, the ground obtained large cracks and fissures as both fought with everything they had. _

_Han's fist then seemed to connect right at A's chest...which then turned hazy before he received a massive shock from the lightning inside it. The Gobi Jinchuriki snarled and powered through it as the real future Raikage appeared with his arm held out in the shape of a hook. _

"_Lariatto (Lariat)!" A roared and he pumped his full speed and power right into his movement and he smashed into the stunned Han's chest. The Gobi Jinchuriki's steam armor cracked and splintered from the impact as he was sent flying back. _

_The red chakra around Han caught him as blood flew out of his mask as a Version 1 cloak formed around him. "BRING IT ON!" he roared as he formed three tails behind him._

"_Not done yet!" A's voice said from seemingly all around him, the future Raikage was moving so fast it was incredibly difficult to pin point where he was. In a flash of lightning, A reappeared right in front of Han and before the Gobi Jinchuriki could react he was lifted up by the future Raikage. "Raigā Bomu_ _(Liger Bomb)!_"

_Han cried out as he was smashed down neck first into the ground by A's full physical might. The stove on his back shattered as the impact cratered the ground nearly a hundred meters down and a hundred twenty meters across with lightning bolts racing around everywhere. The Version 1 cloak slowly dissipated, having barely protected him from the lethal force of A's attack._

"_Sorry Han, I win again," A said as his eyes narrowed. "As a Jinchuriki, you pale in comparison to my brother. At this point, its better to put you out of your..."_

"_BROTHA'! DAD WANTS US AT THE MAIN BATTLEFIELD WHERE WE SHALL BE WEILD HIS STRATEGY!" Bee then called down the crater. "ITS A BATTLE ROYALE BETWEEN DAD, THE TSUCHIKAGE AND THE HOKAGE!"_

_A then appeared right up at the edge of the crater. "Then lets go, Bee, father'll need our backup!"_

_With that, both of them vanished in a puff of smoke as Umeko slid down the crater that was left from A's Raigā Bomu and she carefully avoided the residual electric charges left from the attack. She knelt by Han and felt his pulse to see if he was still alive._

"_...lets get you to a medical ninja, Han," Umeko said with a sigh. "We'll get another chance sooner or later during this War."_

"_No...must...pursue...must **kill** A..." Han muttered as he forced himself to stand, his anger started to rise. "Must not fail..."_

"_Its not failure if you just get treated and get stronger after," Umeko said. She had fought with Killer Bee, and had been unable to strike a decisive blow due to his control over the Hachibi. "We should focus after you're healed on controlling your demon..."_

"_No...time..." Han said with a growl, drool started to drip from his now exposed lips as Umeko felt a pulse of chakra. "Must...PURSUE...!_

_Red chakra was bubbling around his body as Umeko smashed her fist into his face in an attempt to calm him down. He skidded back as he put his hand to his head. A red dome of chakra appeared around him as his Version 2 cloak appeared and the scarred ground melted from the sheer heat of the chakra below it and five tails whipped behind his back._

"_Must...**kill...!**"_

"_Damn it calm the hell down Han! We'll just fight him again next time!" Umeko yelled as she smashed both feet into his stomach but his cloak made her unable to inflict a crushing blow to the weak point due to the protective Version 2 shroud around him._ Damn it...he just keeps pumping more and more of Gobi's chakra into that form!

"_**No...use...must...KILL!**" he then gave a roar that sent Umeko flying back and out of the crater. _

_She landed on the edge of the crater as more and more steam and chakra rose from the crater, the ground started to shudder and shake as tails started to sprout from afar and smashed into the edge of the crater and demolished it. In just a few tense seconds the rest of the forest was dwarfed...by the massive, five-tailed dolphin-horse that gave a loud roar. Umeko stepped back in sheer shock, now eye level with the demonic dolphin-horse. It charged her and smashed through the crater and hit her with the full force of its mass and weight and she crashed into the ground and through several trees. _

"_HAN...FIGHT IT...GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF!" Umeko ordered as she tried to get back to her feet, her armor had barely cushioned her from the blow but was cracked and splintered. She noticed...the five-tails was gone from the crater...and then looked up as a massive hoof smashed down on her._

_After that...everything went dark...the last thing she heard was an explosion that followed the giant stomp that the Gobi had unleashed._

_...at least...this time I'll get to rest once more..._ Umeko thought once more. _These three beat me..._

And her Edo Tensei body was burst apart by the Garōga's drilling, fast spinning movement with one half being tossed to another side of the battlefield as the other crashed into a tree with ash and paper fluttering in the wind. Kiba and Akamaru's spin stopped as their Sōtōrō landed on both feet and then burst into smoke, the Inuzuka heir panted on top of his partner as sweat trickled from his forehead. The pain from his broken arm was nearly blinding now, but he couldn't help but smirk.

"Yeah...we won buddy!" Kiba cheered as he threw his good arm into the air.

Shino landed by him with two sealers and his sister. The sealer wrapped Umeko in cloth and placed the sealing tag. Hana then turned to her brother.

"Consider this an order little brother-HEAD TO THE MEDICAL AREA FOR TREATMENT NOW!"

"But...sis..." Kiba said as Hana crossed her arms. "Alright...fine..."

Kiba was about to turn to head to the medical area when there were blurs of movement all around from the White Zetsu in the trees, some of which had even became part of them. Before Shino could react, Hana jumped into their path as she pushed both Akamaru and Kiba away. Dozens of wooden kunai and shuriken embedded themselves in her back and they grew rapidly as she spat out blood, roots and branches pierced out of her chest and stomach as she dropped to her knees.

"Sis what the hell was..." Kiba began and his eyes widened as he saw blood drip from out of Hana's lip...and saw the twisted roots and branches that pierced through her jacket and shirt. "HANA!"

Hana dropped to her knees. "...get...healed...Kiba..." she spat out blood. "And...take care...of the Haimaru brothers...for me...they're you're...responsibility now..."

"No...no damn it!" Kiba yelled as he tried to support his sister with his good arm. "Medic, we need a medic now!"

"No...its...too late..." Hana whispered as her eyes slowly began closing. "Live...little brother...please..."

The Haimaru brothers all gave a mournful howl at the death of their master as Kiba began to shake and shudder, holding his dead elder sister as the battle continued to rage around him. Tears welled in his eyes as he gently laid her down and Akamaru pushed his nose comfortingly into his cheek.

"Lets...go A..."

"Kiba, head to the medical tent like your sister ordered," Shino ordered him as his swarm attacked the White Zetsus which had killed Hana with a vengeance. "You're in no condition to keep fighting, and if you do you'll just lose your life as well and make your sister's sacrifice null."

"But Shino...I can't just..."

"Do. It. NOW," Shino ordered as he pushed his hand forward and engulfed the White Zetsus in several Mushi Dama's. "Do it for her."

"...fine...! Just...just save me some of their asses to kick later!" Kiba said as he jumped onto Akamaru's back and moved off.

The Aburame slowly pushed his glasses up. "...very rarely I get angry, I usually keep it in reserve since it messes with my logical thought process," his swarm responded to his anger as his fists and face turned purple from his nano-insects. "This time, I'll make an _exception_."

Shino's appearance looked rather demonic as his kikai swarm formed what looked like wings behind his back and he levitated, and then he launched himself at the surviving Zetsu's. He delivered several brutal punches and even a few headbutts to inject them with his nano-insects as he landed on a branch and glanced back at his handiwork as the Zetsus crumbled into mush while screaming. A satisfied smirk appeared on Shino's face at that as he then took off to another part of the battlefield.

All over, the fighting continued. Karui herself was engaged in fierce kenjutsu combat with the reincarnated Hayate Gekko, their katana clashing against each other in a fierce brutal movement. Hinata and Kurotsuchi were fighting back to back against the Zetsu horde, the Hyuga Heiress launched several Hakke Kusho's while the Tsuchikage's granddaughter spat out lava in the shape of boulders-a trick she had learned from Roshi-her grandfather's old teammate and the Yonbi Jinchuriki. Neji himself had finished his treatment and rejoined the battle and unleashed a Kaiten to shield a few Suna Ninja who were about to be hit by his own father's Hakke Kusho and he prepared to fight him.

Kitsuchi, the general of the division had just finished gathering chakra-he sat on a virtual mountain of deceased Zetsu which had been stupid enough to fight him. "Time to end this!" he flew through the seals. "Doton: Tayju Tsuchikabe (Earth Release: Many Earth Walls)!"

And from all around the battlefield, connected to the cliffs and the artificial mountain that the general and Kurotsuchi had created were several tall walls as the message was transmitted for all forces to take to them. The Allied Shinobi Forces as a hole responded and jumped right onto the walls, Karui a bit peeved her duel being cut short. The two Edo Tensei that were still on the field were then unsummoned as the order to barrage the army of Zetsu which were now contained. Kuani, shuriken, fireballs, explosive tags, blasts of water, lightning bolts, as well as Hakke Kusho's from the Hyuga Clan members were launched all at once and the Zetsus on the ground were nearly completely wiped out.

Those that survived sunk into the ground as they retreated. The second division gave a resounding cheer as they chased off the last of their enemy on the field, Kitsuchi smiled proudly at his daughter. He turned to the Communications Ninja next to him.

"Send word to Shikaku, the tactic worked!" Kitsuchi ordered with a grin. "The battle's over, we won!"

"Right away, sir!"

The communications ninja then ran off to the main relay station to send the message. Hinata glanced down and noticed that several thousand of their own dead were still in the walled in battlefield, and she wiped her forehead. With the battle over, she had to resist the urge to vomit after seeing all the dead down below.

**Land of Frost, Ambush Division base**

Sai and Shin clashed, their tanto's struck against each other with horizontal slashes and sparks off their blades. Both ROOT ninja also traded taijutsu blows, punches and kicks while they attempted to break their stalemate. Deidara floated above Omoi and Ittan and evaded their attacks with ease as Kankuro sent forward his Sasori puppet so it'd get in range with its flamethrowers.

"You know, this amateur hour isn't really doing anything for me!" Deidara announced as he tossed several small C1 bombs at both Omoi and the Sasori puppet. "So I'll make everything a blast!"

"CRAP!" Omoi said as he crossed his arms as the bombs exploded at close range and he was sent crashing to the ground.

"Doton: Joto Tsuchi Makura (Earth Release: Rising Earth Pillow)!" Ittan yelled as he did the tiger and boar seals and slammed his hands to the ground to create a soft pillar of dirt for Omoi to land in. The young Kumo ninja managed made a soft landing as the C1 bombs hit the Sasori puppet. "You okay Omoi?!"

"Managed to...shield myself by pumping a bit of chakra to my arms..." Omoi replied as he sat up. His forearms were smoking and burned from the impact. "...I can keep fighting, just won't be as easy as before."

"Hah, looks like your old body is destroyed Sasori-danna!" Deidara announced triumphantly.

"Not quite," Kankuro said as he made a seal. The smoke cleared...and Deidara could see that the Sasori puppet had made a chakra shield with one of its arms which protected it from the damage of his bombs. "Akahigi Kiki Sankaku (Red Secret Technique Machinery Triangles)!"

He fired several kunai-like blades from the flamethrowers on his Sasori puppet's palms at the surprised Deidara avoided the first few but three managed to slam into his stomach and shoulders, not to mention his explosive clay bird. Then the blades exploded and the Akatsuki bomber cried out in surprised as he was sent crashing back down into the depression with his arm now vanished. He gritted his teeth as paper and ash began to flutter around his wounds as they regenerated.

_Its in place anyway!_ Deidara thought as he landed on the side of the depression and ducked the the Sasori puppet's bladed wings which carved deeply into the stone as he kicked it away and lifted his remaining arm. "Art is a blast...KATSU!"

From the ground two C1 centipedes wrapped around the sealed Sasori in the Sanshōuo. Sai and Shin had to leap away to avoid the explosion engulfed the area and the Akatsuki puppet master was freed. Paper and ash swirled as Sasori rapidly regenerated due to his body being completely obliterated from the force of the explosion which freed him. Immediately Sasori attached his chakra threads to his puppet army to reanimated them and sent them to attack but Muta's swarm then began to harass them.

"...I never doubted that you'd be able to free me with that inferior artistic style, Deidara," Sasori said as he squeezed his hand into a tight fist as he drew his puppets away from the swarm.;

"Yeah, yeah, keep telling yourself that Sasori-danna!" Deidara said, grumbling as Sai unraveled his scroll and quickly drew several lions and snakes as he made a seal.

"Chōjū Giga (Super Beast Imitating Drawing)!" Sai yelled as the animals he had drawn flew off the page and collided with Shin just as he activated his Kamereon no Jutsu.

Shin grunted as he skidded back, despite his jutsu activated he was completely visible due to the ink that was splashed on his body after the Chōjū Giga animals had collided with him. Before he could react Sai smashed his fist with all his strength into his brother's face and sent him falling to the ground. Ash and paper fluttered from the wound as Sai leaped into the air, his anger at its peak at the very thought and notion of Kabuto using his own brother against him and his friends.

_Well done Sai...you surpassed me..._ Shin thought as a contented smile appeared on his face as Sai stabbed down as he landed with all his weight.

"...Kankuro...NOW!" Sai yelled as he did a seal and the drawings he had put on his blade's handle animated and wrapped around Shin as he began to regenerate.

"Right!" Kankuro yelled as he drew his Sasori puppet back and made a seal. "Sanshōuo!" The Sanshōuo puppet then swallowed Shin from underground as Sai leaped back and the Karasu puppets circled around the giant salamander puppet before stabbing inside to immobilize the target even more and the head slammed down with the sealing tag right on top. "Kurohigi: Kugutsu Fuin no Jutsu complete!"

One of Sasori's own puppets then zipped over as its nightmarish clicking and clattering sounds closed in on Kankuro. Sai intercepted it with a kunai, blocking its blade and he kicked it right in the head as the Ambush Squad leader slammed his available hand to the ground after making a seal.

"Unsummon!" he yelled and the Sanshōuo puppet burst into smoke as it was unsummoned to headquarters. "There...at least they won't be able to spring that one like Sasori..."

Deidara smirked and looked down on his opponents. "Heh, they are all looking pretty tired aren't they Sasori-danna?"

"Indeed," Sasori said, both of them were back on two clay birds that Akatsuki's mad bomber had created. "Unlike them, we don't get tired."

"Heh, we should end this," Deidara reached into his pack and summoned more clay into it, before he grabbed a handful...and began to chew it in his own mouth. "Time for my trump card that I was saving for Itachi..."

Suddenly, both Deidara and Sasori looked up as the puppet master's creations were simultaneously unsummoned. Coffins then raised up behind them and the mad bomber got an even angrier look on his face and waved his arms around.

"NOT AGAIN YOU STUPID KABUTO! IT WAS JUST GETTING GOOD!" Deidara called out as the coffins slammed shut and disappeared.

Kankuro breathed in and out. "...it...looks to be over for now..."

Omoi's arms were being treated by Kiri as Muta's swarms receded back to her body. "There, that should do Omoi," Kiri said. Muta's swarm had been used to great effect on Sasori's puppet army, able to clog up their joints and consume their chakra without much trouble.

"...thanks..." Omoi said as he pulled out a lollipop and plopped it into his mouth. "...did we manage to pull off a win or a draw, Kankuro?"

"...I'd...say the latter. We took out one of their own...but..." Kankuro glanced back to see what remained of Zaji and Hoheto's body. "...we lost people too..."

"...we managed to hold our own against Deidara and Sasori themselves, I'd say that is a minor victory in and that of itself Kankuro," Sai said as he wiped his forehead. "...what is that technique that Deidara was saving for Itachi?"

"...I don't know...couldn't be good," Kankuro commented as he unsummoned his Sasori puppet. He fell to his rear, breathing in and out. "...haven't had that tough of a fight for a long time."

"Same here," Ittan said as he used his jutsu to raise the sunken ground back to normal.

"We should send a message to Headquarters on our status," Kiri said as he wiped his forehead.

Kankuro nodded and gave the order to do so after wiping his forehead. He looked up at the sky, the battle had taken a few hours in total due to the level of their opponents so the entire Ambush Squad had been exhausted. The first full day of battle had concluded.

**Lightning Country, Second Division**

Hinata, Kurotsuchi, Karui and Shino were assigned to guard the squads that were retrieving the dead Alliance members from the battlefield. Already there were several hundred in body bags, while the dead Zetsus were being burned on a giant fire. The Hyuga Heiress breathed out as a few dozen more bodies of the fallen were stacked with the others.

"...that's the thousandth so far..." Shino commented. He had personally retrieved Hana's body so Kiba wouldn't go out to search for it.

"...one thousand dead...isn't that more than the first ten battles of the Third Shinobi World War combined?" Karui asked as several medical ninja carried the injured they were finding on stretchers to the field hospitals.

"Yes," Hinata said as she closed her eyes. "...and the toll will just keep rising..."

"...at least we killed a lot of Akatsuki's forces," Kurotsuchi said with a grin. "If we keep this up we'll be able to wear Akatsuki down in about a week!"

The four nodded as another injured shinobi, this one from Kiri was carried in on a medical stretcher. More and more bodies kept being piled on each other, either for disposal or sealing to prevent Kabuto from getting more specimens. Several of the Allied death were even being put in a mass grave that would be sealed to prevent Akatsuki from disturbing the dead.

"...how's Kiba-kun holding up?" Hinata asked Shino.

"...his wound should be healed in a few days, he's out of the fighting until then," Shino replied as he sighed. "But the death of Hana-san is weighing heavy on his shoulders."

"Damn it," Hinata whispered as she squeezed her hand into a tight fist in frustration.

All four of them were covered in bandages from their own battles, but they'd be alright to keep fighting. Hinata looked up at the sky and she remembered this entire war was to protect Naruto and she resolved herself once again.

_Until Naruto-kun is completely safe, I won't give up. I won't back down..._ Hinata punched the sky like Naruto would. "...since that is my nindo."

"Hinata?" Shino asked as he looked at her.

"...just made my own vow, Shino-kun," Hinata said as another body was brought to the mass grave. "I won't back down, I won't give up. Since that is my ninja way, to endure."

Shino nodded as a small smile appeared. "Same here."

"You got that right!" Kurotsuchi added with a grin. "We'll win this thing and beat Akatsuki's ass down, and we won't give up!"

Karui gave a smirk. "Exactly, after all Bee-sensei is the person we're all trying to protect!"

"And Naruto-kun too," Hinata added as the wind kicked up a bunch of leaves. "We will endure, and we will win."

_To be continued..._

**Author's Notes:**

Whew, that was a rush. I hope you all liked the battles that I've made and the changes. As for Hana's death, she's...the first of the named 'major' characters who is going to fall. Unlike the manga canon War, I'll try to show the effects of the War more strongly, show the bodies piling up and how people can despair in hopeless situations. I also hope you enjoyed the battles that I written for each character, of all of them the Ambush Squad battle was the toughest for me to write since Deidara and Sasori honestly outclass everyone there. After each battle is complete, there's gonna be a little table I'll make of the battles to show the statistics.

**Battle of the Ambush Squads:**

**Allied Shinobi Forces**: Ambush Division

**Akatsuki**: Commando Squad

**Commander**: Kankuro, Mitarashi Anko

**Commander**: Chukichi

**Strength**: Kankuro, Mitarashi Anko, Sai, Ittan, Omoi, Hyuga Hoheto, Zaji, Kiri, Aburame Muta, Hyuga Tokuma, unnamed members of the recon squad.

**Strength**: Deidara, Sasori, Shin, Chukichi

**Losses**: Dead: Hyuga Hoheto, Zaji, Hyuga Tokuma, unnamed members of the Recon squad.

MIA: Mitarashi Anko

**Losses**: Sealed: Shin

Withdrawn: Deidara, Sasori

**Result: **Allied Shinobi Forces Strategic Victory (they held their position), Akatsuki Tactical Victory (inflicted more casualties while controlling the battlefield)

**Battle in the Southern Lightning Country:**

**Allied Shinobi Forces**: Second Division, Fifth Division

**Akatsuki**: White Zetsu Army, reincarnated Shinobi

**Commander**: Kitsuchi

**Commander**: none

**Strength**: Kitsuchi, Hyuga Hinata, Hyuga Neji, Kurotsuchi, Karui, Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, Inuzuka Hana, 16,000 shinobi total from the merge of the Second and Fifth division lines

**Strength**: 20,000 White Zetsu, Uchiha Fugaku, Kimimaro, Hayate Gekko, Hyakurin Umeko, Hyuga Hizashi

**Losses**: Killed: Inuzuka Hana, 2000 shinobi total

Wounded: 3000 injured shinobi including

Hyuga Neji and Inuzuka Kiba

**Losses**: Killed: 14,000 White Zetsu

Sealed: Uchiha Fugaku, Hyakurin Umeko

Withdrawn: Hayate Gekko, Kimimaro,

Hyuga Hizashi

**Result:** Allied Shinobi Forces Decisive Victory

**Updated Stats:**

Hinata:  
Nin: 4.5 (+1  
Tai: 4.5 (+0)  
Gen: 3.5 (+0)  
Int: 4 (+0)  
Str: 2.5 (+0.5)  
Spe: 4 (+1)  
Sta: 3.5 (+0.5)  
Sea: 3 (+0)  
Total: 29.5 (from 26.5 from the last stats)

Kiba:  
Nin: 4.5 (+1)  
Tai: 4.5 (+0.5)  
Gen: 2 (+0)  
Int: 2.5 (+0.5)  
Str: 4 (+0.5)  
Spe: 5 (+0.5)  
Sta: 3.5 (+0.5)  
Sea: 1.5 (+0)  
Total: 27.5 (from 26 from the last stats)

Shino:  
Nin: 5 (+0)  
Tai: 3.5 (+1.5)  
Gen: 3.5 (+1)  
Int: 5 (+1)  
Str: 2.5 (+0.5)  
Spe: 4 (+1)  
Sta: 4 (+1)  
Sea: 2 (+0)  
Total: 29.5 (from 24.5 from the last stats)

Neji:  
Nin: 4.5 (+0)  
Tai: 5 (+0)  
Gen: 4 (+0.5)  
Int: 4 (+1)  
Str: 4 (+2.5)  
Spe: 4.5 (+0)  
Sta: 4 (+0)  
Sea: 3.5 (+0)  
Total: 33.5 (From 31 from last stats)

Fugaku:

Nin: 5

Tai: 4

Gen: 4.5

Int: 3.5

Str: 2.5

Spe: 4

Sta: 3

Sea: 5

Total: 31.5

Umeko

Nin: 3.5

Tai: 5

Gen: 1.5

Int: 3.5

Str: 5

Spe: 3

Sta: 4.5

Sea: 1

Total: 27


	20. Battle of the Mist Part 1

Chapter 20: Clash in the Mists: Seven Swordsmen Reincarnated! Part I

**Island Turtle, Tailed Beast Temple**

Naruto had just summoned Fukasaku to help with his next bit of training...the combining of his Chakra Mode and his Sage Mode. Hopefully, he thought, he'd become strong enough to lift the incredibly dense chakra that formed the Bijudama long enough to get the ratio down. He sat cross legged on the ground as he breathed in through his nose and his Chakra Mode flared up.

_So that's the lad's control over the Kyubi's chakra...such incredible chakra!_ Fukasaku thought, his hands on the black staff. _And even all that power isn't enough to handle a Biju's strongest attack..._

"...I'm ready now Fukasaku-sensei," Naruto said as he breathed in and began to pull in the Natural Energy all around them.

"Don't be a fool Naruto just jump into the pool! Get that mode down so we can get to you getting the Nine-tails' abode!" Bee said as he moved his hand to a strange beat.

"...yes, that will be very helpful," Fukasaku commented sarcastically.

The centuries old toad recalled the conversation he had with Naruto just after being summoned. The young Hokage had told him of when he had faced Nagato and Madara, how he could integrate Kurama's chakra into his Sage Mode for an even greater power boost than both modes, but it never lasted long. However, he had hoped now that he had the Kyubi Chakra Mode, he could make the boost last longer-or at least as long as a standard Sage Mode duration.

**Hey Bee, perhaps I can be of more help,** Gyuki said in Bee's mind.

"_Okay, okay but don't take all day! Gotta get my Enka rap down pat!"_

A sweat drop seemed to appear behind the massive ushi-oni's head as his strange, white eyes narrowed. **...I'll try to stay as long as Naruto needs help, okay?**

Fukasaku then looked back as Bee leaped back...and fully transformed into the giant, eight-tailed ushi-oni. "...well what do ya know, he can transform at will! I din't believe ma own ears when I heard of it!"

**...that's a bit better, I can finally stretch,** Gyuki said as he looked down at Naruto. **How is this coming along, Naruto?**

"...heh...its a little bit harder to sense the Natural Energy in this chamber...but I think I can pull it in," Naruto said with a grin. "Its just the matter of balancing it..."

**I see, I see...I've seen Senjutsu users over the centuries, but they always take on animal characteristics while fighting like Jiraiya-san...**

"That's incomplete Sage Mode, Hachibi-san," Fukasaku said as Naruto drew in the Natural Energy as he breathed out slowly, a reddish orange pigment appeared around his eyes but due to the sheer amount of Kurama's chakra in Chakra Mode, he had a harder time balancing it and his cheeks began swelling like a toad's. "Not gonna let that happen youngin!"

With that, Fukasaku whacked Naruto on the back of the head with his black staff to force the natural energy out. The shroud protected the young Hokage from the blow, but the energy he was gathering had been forced out.

"Grr I almost had it that time..." Naruto said as he growled in frustration.

"Then lets get you back onto it, we'll get it down Naruto-boy!" Fukasaku ordered as the young Hokage nodded.

"Right!" he said as the yellow orange chakra flared around him and he breathed out slowly to calm himself...

Just as Iruka came walking in with the latest report from the War. He had been assigned to the island turtle with Aburame Shibi, Akimichi Chokai, and Akimichi Chozu to be the young Hokage's personal bodyguards by Tsunade herself, as well as the 'first line' of deterrence if he decided to enter the War prematurely. The former Academy Teacher carried in his hands a few papers.

"Naruto, got some things that you'd want to hear-being the Supreme Commander of the Shinobi Alliance after all," Iruka said as Naruto then looked up and his Chakra Mode fizzled out.

"What Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked as he stood up.

"The status of the War, for one," Iruka said as the young Hokage looked at him at apt attention. "We managed to tie in the battle with Akatsuki's Commando unit, as well as win the Battle of Lower Lightning Country."

"Thank god..." Naruto said as he looked at Iruka. "...what were the losses...?"

"In the battle of the commando squads, we lost five members including one from the Recon Squad," Iruka said as he breathed out. "As for the Second Division's losses, they total two thousand with three thousand injuries. We have confirmation that none of your classmates are among the fallen though, Naruto."

"...still...two thousand people..." Naruto gritted his teeth. "...and all I can do is sit here...and learn each body count...damn it!"

The young Hokage's Kyubi Chakra Mode flared as he activated it again and punched the ground so hard, it cracked, shattered and cratered while Iruka stumbled and tried to keep his footing. His first teacher managed to balance himself as he took a deep breath. Iruka then rubbed the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes.

"I know its difficult Naruto, but as the leader of this Alliance, and as the Rokudaime Hokage you need to stay here until you're truly needed. The faster you master this new power means the faster you get to get onto the battlefield," Iruka said as Naruto sighed and his Chakra Mode flared off. "I know that even though we won those first two crucial battles, the loss of life is horrible. But we have to keep pushing _forward_ so their sacrifice isn't in vain."

Naruto breathed out. "...I...think I understand that...is this what all the previous Hokages went through...?" he paused for a second. _Is that what Nagato went through during his wars?_

"_You **try** to see a greater meaning behind the slaughter...but there is only hatred...and pain...and nothing you can do about it. Pointless death...bottomless hatred...unending pain...**that** is war. Naruto...it will be up to you to face it all. My role ends here. Naruto...maybe you can really do it..."_

_...what can I really do though...fight of course when its my time to...but..._ Naruto breathed out as he looked at Iruka and then Fukasaku and Bee. _...I'll have to figure it out during the War...maybe my training will give me some insights..._

Naruto closed his eyes and he breathed out. He settled in his crater again to begin his training once more, his Chakra Mode flared around him and then he began to draw Natural Energy into himself in an attempt to balance the energies.

**Alliance Headquarters**

The Allied Shinobi Forces headquarters was abuzz with activity as information arrived from the various battlefronts. The few survivors of the Recon Squad had notified the high command that Mitarashi Anko had chose to stay behind to try to hold off the enemy to buy time for her team. Due to her being trained by Orochimaru and possessing a Cursed Seal, she was one of the few people they couldn't afford to lose in the War against Akatsuki according to Tsunade. This was due to Orochimaru's chakra that was sealed away in the Cursed Seal-something that'd be extremely valuable to someone with the late Sannin's cells in their body. Ao sat in front of the sensor water ball, his eyes closed as he had it rotated it trying to sense Anko's specific chakra.

"...its faint...but I believe I've found it," Ao said as he looked up. "She's still alive...and Kabuto is nearby her."

"Despite the risk, we need to send in a team to retrieve her from Kabuto's captivity," Tsunade said after a few moments and Shikaku nodded.

"Inoichi, contact Hikoro Kuro's ANBU team on the field, we're sending them in for a rescue operation," Shikaku ordered and Inoichi nodded.

"Sending the message now..." Inoichi said as he closed his eyes in the Telepathy Communication Machine. "Sent. Kuro's squad is all ready to head out."

"Sai's flying recon in the Land of Hotsprings now, the Third Division is closing is about five minutes away so they'll be ready to assist if any enemy movements are started," Shikaku looked at the map and noted where the ROOT's position was, as well as the Third Division.

Ao then checked. "...there is movement...three Edo Tensei are approaching Sai's team...one is...Mamochi Zabuza!"

"Damn...at least Sai's airborne, tell him to try to deal with them from a distance with long-ranged attacks," Shikaku ordered.

"Understood, sending the latest information now!" Inoichi announced as he sent the information to Sai's team.

"...now all we have to do is watch and wait..."

**Mountain's Grave**

A team of five ANBU managed to get past Akatsuki's defenses and penetrate deep into the territory of the Mountain's Grave. They leaped from tree to tree at high speed, and they were all ANBU of each village: the leader Hikoro Kuro was leading at point wearing a tiger mask. His short black hair was caught in the wind as he kept up his speed up as his number two in the squad, Uzuki Yugao, jumped nearby.

"Anko's chakra signature is on the move Kuro-san," Yugao said as she leaped to another branch. "And the muddled chakra signature...that has to be Kabuto with her."

"What do you think her status is?" Kuro asked.

"...I believe unconscious, her chakra levels are low now," Yugao replied as they leaped to another tree. "If we keep out current speed up, we'll intercept them in the next two hours."

"Lets pick up speed and make it in one," Kuro ordered and charged more chakra to his feet to increase his speed, the rest of the ANBU did the same.

"We don't know what traps that Akatsuki has set up, so we should approach with a bit more caution Kuro-san," the Suna ANBU said as he jumped from another branch. "If there are any traps up ahead, I'll neutralize them with my technique."

"Right Zaki-san," Kuro said as he smirked behind his mask, but he frowned. _...I have a feeling my brother will be an enemy soon..._

Kuro's elder brother, Hikoro Hiro had defected from Kumogakure in the chaos of Bee's capture. He had killed several people in the village before making his escape, the Raikage had been furious. Deep down, the ANBU hoped his brother had been caught in the same mind control jutsu that Akatsuki had used to control people in their last attacks on Suna, but no evidence had been found. He breathed in and leaped clear across a small gorge with a single jump, the rest of the ANBU following suit.

**Third Division, Land of Frost**

Kakashi had temporarily halted the division's advance through the Land of Frost so he could send scouts out to survey where the latest Edo Tensei or White Zetsu were. The division was in a heavily forested area, a large, open field with several small cliffs was about a kilometer ahead-a perfect area to stage for a battle. Sakura walked over to where Rock Lee was-he was in conversation with the Seven Swordsman named Chojuro.

_He's part of the same group Zabuza and Kisame were from?_ Sakura thought in a bit of surprise. _Shouldn't he...be...tougher or something?_

Sakura then glanced over to a few of the kunoichi, specifically the one which Kakashi had been put in charge of. She had been, surprisingly part of Sasuke's group of Missing Ninja that had attacked the Kage Summit, but had defected after the Uchiha had abused her a bit during the fight with Danzo-which had been even more surprising to Ibiki and his interrogators, as well as Tsunade herself. Thus, after much convincing, the kunoichi known as Karin had been given a commission as a Konoha Ninja with the rank of Chunin after giving all the information she had about Sasuke, Kabuto, and Orochimaru that she knew of to the people she surrendered to. In turn, Kakashi had direct responsibility over her, if she had stepped out of line she'd immediately be sent back to Konoha's prison.

The red haired kunoichi glanced over at Sakura. "Yes, can I help you with something?"

"...just was hoping we could talk," Sakura said as she walked over.

"Sure, whatever," Karin said as she leaned back. "What about? Excuse me for not being too friendly but I kinda hate being on a leash right now."

"...well I heard you agreed to it...but its beside the point..." Sakura replied as she waved her off. "I kind of want...to ask about Sasuke. I couldn't talk to Naruto since he immediately left...and you were with him most recently."

Karin rubbed the bridge of her nose. "What were you, his old girlfriend or something?"

"...I loved him back then, before he left...but we were never together. We were teammates," Sakura replied after a few moments and Karin blinked at her. "I just...want to know if you know why he's become what he's become..."

"...nothing good. He's become a hate filled, arrogant bastard who really only cares about himself, everyone else is secondary," Karin said after a few moments and looked up at the sky. "...he isn't the same Sasuke that saved me from the giant bear during the Chunin Exams..."

Sakura blinked rapidly. "Wait, the Chunin Exams?! You were there?!"

"Yeah. I was a Kusa Kunoichi then, one of the applicants. I got separated from my teammates when they went to pursue a couple Konoha genin for their scroll, and I walked into a giant bear's habitat. I was carrying the scroll of my team myself when, out of nowhere, Sasuke came out and drop kicked the bear before it could get to me. He saw that he had the same scroll as me, said to watch out, before saying 'See ya' and left," Karin replied fondly as she leaned back. "...but Sasuke isn't that way anymore. He's cold. He's angry. He's driven to hurt anyone who gets in his way. Hell I think-despite what he told us? I think he wants to destroy Konoha down to the last child. And then probably raze all the other villages to boot."

Sakura felt a cold chill go down her spine at that. "...I see..." she said as she took a seat next to Karin. "The days when old Team Seven were together get farther and farther away...Sasuke goes deeper into depravity...Naruto becomes Hokage like he always wanted on top of saving the village from Pain...and me...?"

Karin glanced at Sakura, specifically noticing the comparatively large diamond shape on her forehead. "Isn't that the Godaime Hokage's technique on your forehead?"

"Actually...its a seal of my own design after I studied Tsunade-shisho's Infūin (Yin Seal), I call it the Byakugō no In (White Strength Seal)," Sakura said proudly. "I completed it during the last spar I had with my shisho before we both went to Kumogakure...I stored chakra in this one place for three entire years to activate it. With it, I can use my sensei's Sōzō Saisei (Creation Rebirth)...and Byakugō no Jutsu (Strength of a Hundred Technique), though unlike my shisho I don't have to focus on keeping myself young...thus my power, speed, and strength raised by a factor of a hundred!"

"Wow," Karin said with a smirk. "Seems like you accomplished something big there Sakura-san!"

"Heh...yeah..." Sakura said as she breathed out and remembered that spar.

_Sakura had been training with Kakashi intensely for the past few days, and had been training like that ever since he had returned from Iron after escorting Naruto to the Kage Summit. He had helped her hone a lot of her skills...taught her several new elemental ninjutsu and even helped her create a Raiton technique similar to her master's __Ikazuchi Ryu and she had expanded her Doton repertoire. Kakashi skidded back, the force of Sakura's blow had made him back off from attacking directly in the spar. _

_Even though she didn't hit me directly...the force is really incredible...____ Kakashi thought as his Sharingan rotated and locked right onto his student. "Genjutsu: Sharingan!"_

___Sakura let herself fall under the genjutsu...then she slammed her hands together. "KAI (Release)!" and shattered the illusion as her fist charged up. "Raiton: Raiko Kado Ryu (Lightning Release: Lightning Vortex Fist)!"_

___Lightning burst around her fist and it appeared like a swirling vortex around it. Several bolts lashed out and sliced through the ground as she controlled the electrical whirlpool that surrounded her fist. Kakashi slid his foot back and dropped his hand._

_"__Raikiri (Lightning Blade)!" Kakashi countered and lightning surrounded his hand as he formed a knife-hand, several bolts also arched out and slashed the ground as he put more chakra into it._

___Wordlessly, both student and teacher charged each other at high speed. Sakura's green eyes darted back and forth and kept her eyes on Kakashi's footwork as her sensei's Sharingan read her body movements and both pushed their attacks forward-the Copy Ninja's as a knife hand and the Slug Sannin Apprentice as a closed fist. Bolts of lightning discharged as both attacks fought for dominance before there was a small explosion that sent both Kakashi and Sakura backwards as they slid on the ground._

_"__...impressive," Kakashi said as he sank to one knee. "You've gotten much stronger than the last time we sparred, Sakura."_

_"__Thanks, sensei! I worked hard!" Sakura said with a wide grin. _

_"__I can tell," Kakashi said as he flexed his hand before he grabbed a bandage from his pack. "Like Naruto, you've become stronger than I am." Sakura's eyes widened at that. "If I were to peg you...you'd be as strong as he was when he returned to save the village from Pain."_

_"__Are you...sure sensei?"_

___Kakashi nodded as both looked up as Tsunade arrived, having finished her final work in Konoha itself until the War would end. "Mind if I really tested that, Kakashi? She is my Apprentice after all."_

_"__By all means, Tsunade-sama. Are you up for this, Sakura?"_

___Sakura breathed in and glanced at the Hokage, her master, the most powerful kunoichi in the entire world. She could even see the chakra spike around her as she threw off her green over jacket to show she was serious about this spar. All their previous spars,had ended with Sakura knocked out within the first five minutes, she had barely been able to hold her own at all against her master. But...now things were different-she was stronger now...and she needed to prove to herself that she was catching up to Naruto and Sasuke._

_I need to accept the challenge...____ Sakura thought as she gritted her teeth. "Alright, Tsunade-shisho, lets do this!"_

_"__Excellent!" Tsunade said as she smashed her fist into her palm, and there was a slight shockwave. Kakashi stepped back and gave the two kunoichi room to battle._

___On the training field, Sakura and Tsunade slowly paced parallel to each other as they entered taijutsu stance. The wind blew in and blew a leaf up...which both kunoichi took as their signal to start. Both charged at each other, their fists drawn back and when they were close they punched out. Their fists impacted with such force the ground cracked and cratered tremendously at their feet, so much so they sank nearly 40 meters into the earth. But the force then sent Sakura backwards into the air, crashing into the edge of the crater as she tried to correct herself and smashed through several tree branches._

_She wouldn't be Hokage if she didn't have that strength!____ Sakura thought, her knuckles pulsed in pain from the impact. Just as she had recovered Tsunade was already upon her._

_"__We're fighting for real now, Sakura! Give it all you got!" Tsunade yelled as she dropped her heel. "Tsūtenkyaku!"_

___Sakura barely had time to react as she flung herself to the left and charged chakra to her feet to use a shunshin to escape the blast radius of Tsunade's Tsūtenkyaku. The impact of the kick flattened an area a kilometer in diameter down to at least six meters deep and 100 meters deep at the epicenter and sent trees and rocks into the air as they rained down like deadly debris. Sakura was on the outer edge of the kick but she still had to shield herself from the shockwave._

_"__Damn..." Sakura whispered as Tsunade again attacked and barely gave Sakura any time to recover once more. _

___The two traded fierce taijutsu blows, but the pink-haired medic began giving ground due to the Hokage's superior taijutsu skill and experience. Sakura gritted her teeth and sidestepped a blow strong enough to knock her out. Tsunade then lashed out with a roundhouse kick and the pink-haired medic ducked and rolled and then grabbed the Hokage's ankle and yanked with all her strength to knock her shisho off her feet. The tactic worked and Sakura took out one of her specially made smoke bombs just as Tsunade slammed her heel out and hit her student in the stomach._

___Sakura gasped in pain and crashed backwards and flew through several trees for a half a kilometer. She dropped to her knees and spat out a bit of blood and used a quick diagnostic jutsu to see the problem before she healed the damage with the Shōsen Jutsu (Mystical Palm Technique). Sakura pushed herself back to her feet._

_"__...at the rate I'm going, she's gonna beat me soon...damn it Naruto'd or Sasuke'd do better..." she gritted her teeth. "No, I can't compare myself. I need to focus on my own strengths..." Her eyes turned steel-like. "I need to finish the seal..."_

___Just as she had said that she dodged a tree that had been forcibly charged by Tsunade's Ikazuchi Ryu as well as several boulders and other debris, finally kunai and shuriken that had been charged rounded out the barrage. Sakura used her evasive training to dodge the barrage as she focused more and more chakra into the developing seal on her forehead. A thin diamond outline appeared on her forehead as Tsunade herself launched herself in a flying sidekick. Sakura managed to sidestep as she read the path and counter and slam her fist right into the Hokage's face and sent her in the opposite direction by the force of the blow. _

___Sakura breathed in and out and still focused on completing the seal on her forehead. Tsunade wasn't down for more than two seconds and charged at her like a bull, and the pink haired medic first tossed one of the smoke bombs in her path. The Hokage didn't hesitate once the bomb exploded in her face and drew her fist back and charged lightning into it._

_"__I'm the one who created the formula in those smoke bombs, Sakura! I'm immune to the effects remember?!"_

_"__I remember," Sakura said as she did three seals, the ox, tiger, then snake. "Magen: Hana no Fuzui (Demonic Illusion: Flowers of Paralysis)!"_

___Tsunade blinked in surprise and skidded to a stop as flowers grew all around her and began to bloom, and a pink colored pollen wafted up into her nose. She tried to take a step but found herself nearly unable to move. Sakura breathed in relief, the seal on her forehead now three quarters full. _

_Well I'll be damned...she caught me in a genjutsu,____ Tsunade thought as she attempted to lift her arms up. __Pretty damn strong too..._

_That won't hold her for long...____ Sakura thought as she focused, the seal almost completely filled in now._

___Tsunade managed after a few moments to raise her hands. "KAI!" with that, she shattered Sakura's illusion and charged her again with her fist drawn back once more. "I'll admit, that genjutsu threw me off! But I think I've won this match Sakura!"_

___Sakura's eyes widened and she dodged and launched her punch right at Tsunade's stomach. Tsunade's movement stopped, but she wasn't hurt...but now the pink haired medic's seal was finished. She smirked and squeezed her right hand into a tight fist. _

_"__Sorry Tsunade-shisho, I've won!" With that, Sakura launched her punch right at Tsuande's stomach...and to the Hokage's surprise she flew back at insane speeds through the trees as the pink haired kunoichi followed up and jumped after her at full speed. "SHANNARO!"_

___Tsunade crossed her arms but Sakura smashed her fist into her stomach and the entire area exploded with such force, a shock wave was sent to where Kakashi was standing and birds all around the area fled the forest. A massive amount of rock and soil was launched a kilometer into the air and came crashing down in a wave, and in the center was a massive crater a kilometer and a half in diameter and over 200 meters deep. The Hokage panted as the debris rained down around them, and she gave a proud smile at Sakura. _

_"__...damn..." Tsunade said as she pushed herself up as her broken bones and ruptured organs knitted themselves back together due to her Sōzō Saisei being active. "That's why you were stalling back there...you were completing your own In Fuin..." the Hokage then glanced at the seal on Sakura's forehead, noticing it was larger than her own. "Or maybe, you're own unique seal..."_

_"__I...based it on the the released state of your In Fuin, shisho," Sakura said with a smile and helped Tsunade back to her feet. "I call it Byakugō no In (White Strength Seal) since, if released...it gives the same qualities that your Byakugō no Jutsu (Strength of a Hundred Technique) does. And...I can use both it and Sōzō Saisei and Byakugō no Jutsu."_

___Tsunade smiled. "I see...congratulations Sakura, you're stronger than me now. Especially since you don't have to spend time keeping yourself youthful like I have. You'll do fine in the War, but remember to protect your comrades."_

___Sakura nodded. "Will do shisho!"_

Karin had listened to it all, her eyes widened. "That...that is incredible...you're as strong as a Kage?"

"Heh...yeah..." Sakura said as the former Taka kunoichi nodded.

Before they could continue, there was a whistle heard which made everyone get up and into attention. The enemy had been spotted and an advanced team lead by Sai had encountered an enemy unit of Edo Tensei on the move towards the Third Division's position, and Kakashi had ordered the division to get on the move to reinforce them.

**In the Skies of the Land of Frost**

Sai pursed his lips as he flew on his ink bird in formation with a few local birds to hide his approach. With him with Omoi and on the second bird in the formation was Aburame Muta and Kiri. Muta had spread her insects out and was having them scout ahead while Kiri checked his medical supplies and looked around the area. Down below them four Edo Tensei - two of which Sai and Kiri recognized leaped from tree to tree in the forest.

From the descriptions...those two are Naruto and Sakura's very first opponents...Mamochi Zabuza and Haku of the Yuki Clan... Sai thought to himself as he began to draw several smaller birds onto his scroll with dozens of explosive tags attached to their tails. Zabuza is an elite shinobi, a Jonin of especially high caliber despite not having his Kubikiribocho on him, attacking close combat is the worse I can do due to his techniques. And Haku-dono...from how Sakura-san described him he was also Jonin level in power with Naruto only being able to defeat him upon accessing the Kyubi's chakra for the first time which Haku was unprepared for...two strong opponents of Kirigakure...and the other two...

On the ground, Haku, Zabuza, and their comrades reincarnated with them, a beautiful kunoichi with green hair up in a bun that had orange on the bangs that framed her face and orange eyes while she wore a dark top with bandages around her stomach, with a small dress that opened from the sides named Shakuton no Pakura (Pakura of the Scorch Release). The shinobi next to her had light brown hair that was arranged in a spiky star like pattern, and he had a pronounced jaw and cheekbones with green eyes while wearing a traditional Iwagakure Flak Jacket...it was Bakuton no Gari (Gari of the Blast Release). Haku glanced back at Zabuza who jumped from tree to tree.

"...this blasted technique..." Zabuza said with a growl and jumped to another branch. "Bringing us out of the afterlife we earned..."

"...Zabuza-sama...I'm sorry I wasn't able to prevent your death," Haku said with an ashamed sigh. "I was useless after all in the end."

"...forget about it Haku, its in the past," Zabuza said after a moment as all four of them froze.

"Heh, you're all in for a treat, one of the last living members of Akatsuki is going to rendezvous with you," Kabuto said in their minds. "You should be honored!"

Pakura scowled. "Back when I was alive, Akatsuki was a small time organization...who'd have thought we'd be reincarnated to fight for their behalf..."

"Least you died before one of your members joined it," Gari commented as he leaped to another tree.

"What member of Akatsuki?" Haku asked as he landed on another branch.

_"Oh one that Zabuza knows well!" Kabuto replied in their minds eagerly. "Hoshigaki Kisame! And I'll have more...surprises for a old fashioned reunion...hehehehehe..."_

___Kisame...that bastard..._ Zabuza thought as he squeezed his hands into tight fists. "Whoever you are, I'll find a way to kill you somehow. Just wait!"

"That's the spirit! Now I bet Tobi...oh I mean Madara is gonna send you some other reinforcements after that in the White Zetsus. A good old fashioned battle. Sounds fun doesn't it?"

In the air, Muta's insects had returned and were practically frantic. She blinked when one landed on her finger and began relaying her the information it had discovered. Muta glanced in the distance and began to physically...feel the chakra approaching.

"These chakra levels...they're insane...its like they belong to Naruto-dono," Muta whispered as she could practically...picture a shark's dorsal fin appearing in the sea of trees towards the Edo Tensei's location. "Sai-dono, trouble is coming. I'd attack now and take our chances."

"Understood," Sai said as he lifted his hand with two fingers. "Chōjū Giga (Super Beast Imitating Drawing)."

With that from his scroll several birds flew off, each with a dozen explosive tags attached to their legs. They dove right at the four Edo Tensei on the ground at high speed as the tags began to ignite. Haku glanced up and acted quickly and did two seals.

"Hyoton: Koori no Engai (Ice Release: Dome of Ice)!" Haku yelled as a huge dome made out of ice was formed around himself, Zabuza, Pakura, and Gari-though Gari was on the edge of it.

The ink birds with explosive tags impacted with such force on the dome that an entire section of the forest had been completely leveled. Zabuza looked up through the dome of ice...noticing the birds that were in the sky. He also glanced at Gari who was already regenerating from the blast that hit him. He glanced at Haku who immediately understood and created one of his Makyō Hyōshō (Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals) mirrors and stepped into it.

In the air Sai was preparing another volley with no one realizing another ice mirror appeared right behind them. Haku brought out a handful of senbon and he breathed in and moved out of the mirror and tossed all the sharp needles at them. Their birds were all destroyed and the commando team was sent crashing down from the sky...Kiri had gotten a few senbons in his neck and back from the attack.

Sai, Omoi, and Muta tried to control their fall as they grabbed onto branches and tried to charge charka to their feet to stick to the bark but their velocity stopped them, however they were slowed down. The slammed to the forest floor and back-rolled into a clearing, and Kiri's body smashed and rolled on its side next to them. Omoi groaned and looked up and saw four high speed blurs that approached them with weapons drawn.

"Crap..." Omoi started as a whistle was heard as well and a green flare was sent into the sky...and there were several blurs that approached in front of the three.

Kakashi, Sakura, Rock Lee, and Maito Gai all blocked Zabuza's, Pakura's, Gari's, and Haku's charge, their kunai's clashed against their weapons. The Suna Kunoichi and Iwa Shinobi gasped in shock as they saw the age of the people they were sent to fight against. Their weapons threw off sparks as they struggled to gain ground against each other.

"What the hell, they're just kids!" Pakura yelled in shock as her kunai screeched against Sakura's.

"Damn these bastards..." Gari muttered in anger as he began giving ground against Rock Lee's superior physical strength.

"Still as good as ever Kakashi..." Zabuza commented as he gritted his teeth and tried to push forward.

One of the Suna ninja gasped. "Its Shakuton no Pakura, she was the Yondaime Kazekage's teammate and the hero of our entire village!"

"And that one, its Bakuton no Gari! Leader of the Blast Corps!" an Iwa Ninja said as a Kiri Ninja's eyes widened.

"Damn it, its one of the Yuki Clan ninja, a user of Hyoton!"

"All of them have powerful Kekkei Genkai!" a Kumo ninja said as Zabuza chuckled.

"Except for me," Zabuza said as there was a burst of smoke behind them, Muta looked up alarmingly.

"Kakashi-dono, fall back! That chakra I sensed before has arrived!"

A massive, serated blade with shark-like scales on its top and bottom appeared out of the smoke and swung in a horizontal slash. All eight ninja leaped away, the four Edo Tensei jumping behind the smoke as Kakashi, Sakura, Rock Lee, and Gai skidded backwards from the force of the slash and they heard a chuckling. Gai looked up, as if he recognized the voice.

"Ahhh...finally I can come into the War and fight some people," the voice said as the smoke cleared...and Hoshigaki Kisame stood in front of everyone as he shouldered his Sameha. "And my new sword is really eager for battle!"

"That voice, I believe I recognize you!" Maito Gai said in shock as Rock Lee looked at his sensei dramatically.

"Isn't he..." Rock Lee started before it dawned on him. "A fish-like person, sensei?!"

"Yes, and he wields a sword! Though its different!"

A bead of sweat seemed to appear behind everyone's head as Rock Lee and Gai went on about the 'mysterious fish-like sword user' which appeared before them. Kisame groaned and put his hand to his head and swung Sameha in an arch which cut through the soft earth with a furrow. Zabuza then walked up and glanced at his fellow swordsman.

"Something happened to Samehada, Kisame?" Zabuza asked as he twirled his curved kunai. "Since that's the Shodaime Mizukage's blade."

"Well it rejected me, so I had to get its big brother," Kisame said cheerfully. "Gonna summon the Kubikiribocho back from Suigetsu? I doubt the boy has properly mastered it-he still can't wield it without strain after all."

"The junior Hozuki brat has my sword? That leaves a bad taste in my mouth," Zabuza said with a grunt as he then looked at Kakashi. "You better be prepared to stop me again Kakashi, I don't know how long I'll be able to control myself."

Kakashi nodded. "I understand, prepare to be defeated then..."

"...all I can do now is just fight...I can't atone for failing Zabuza-sama...I'm a broken tool," Haku said as he breathed in.

"You're wrong, Zabuza didn't die because you failed Haku," Kakashi said as the Demon of the Hidden Mist and Haku both looked up...their consciousness being crushed.

"Damn it...tell...the bastard is...increasing his control over us," Zabuza growled as an aura rose from his back and Haku's...Zabuza's took the appearance of a demon...while the area got colder around the Hyoton user.

"He really cared for you Haku," Kakashi said as a single tear fell from Haku's eye.

"I...see..." Haku said as his personality was completely crushed, as was Zabuza's.

"Aww I was hoping to talk about the old days with Zabuza," Kisame said as he bore his shark-like teeth. "Though we'll have a bit of fun anyways!"

Kakashi's visible eye narrowed. "Lets get this started then..."

With that, Zabuza, Haku, Pakura, Gari, and Kisame all charged the Alliance's position, weapons drawn as the Third Division charged to counter. The Akatsuki swordsman felt extremely excited, his world without lies would be revealed soon! And he'd get to fight some good fights before it happened too and he became even more excited. Two Kumo Ninja leaped at him with two meat-cleaver like swords that were charged with Raiton and he slashed at them...and like a chainsaw his Sameha's 'teeth' shredded through the opposing swords, consumed the Raiton chakra flowing through it and he cut the two shinobi in half with a single swing.

**Mountain's Graveyard, Kabuto's location**

Kabuto grinned, the battle with the Second Division was starting off nicely. Tobi had confronted him on why he had kept Anko alive and on Edo Tensei and how to counter it, and he had given the Akatsuki leader a complete demonstration even informing him that the reincarnated would possess whatever Kekkei Genkai they had in life due to their genetic code, such as Itachi's Sharingan or Nagato's Rinnegan. He had also told him a counter-a seal sequence that wouldn't work. That had let him go with Anko in toe so he could siphon off Orochimaru's chakra from her cursed seal to empower the Edo Tensei. He looked at his little 'game board', having placed stones which represented his Edo Tensei on the field.

"Hm...these the rest will be good here...some heavy hitters to fight against Kakashi and Maito Gai will be needed," Kabuto said to himself and glanced at Anko. "Unless you have a suggestion?"

Anko groaned, half conscious from the poison that was pumped into her body and the drain of the chakra from the Cursed Seal on the back of her neck. Kabuto smirked at that and his body snake hissed as it stuck its tongue out.

"I thought not..." Kabuto said with a smirk as he looked at his board. His head suddenly shot up and he dodged a dozen shuriken that had lightning wrapped around them. "I have some party crashers apparently..."

Just as he said that a dozen fireballs enhanced by a blast of wind converged on him and he jumped into the trees just as he saw two blurs of movement and his snake hissed a warning as two purple haired kunoichi in ANBU masks swung their swords in a crescent slash. He ducked the slash as it cut through tree and his hand was enveloped in chakra and he slashed upwards predicting the final attack...but he miscalculated. Instead, the leader of the ANBU, a man in a tiger mask with short black her appeared right in front of Kabuto with his hands out.

"Ranton: Reizā Sākasu (Storm Release: Laser Circus)!" Kuro yelled as a halo of blue light surrounded his hands and several bolts of energy shot out at Kabuto nearly point blank.

Kabuto was hit and he opened his mouth, his body and his cloak sizzled from the attack...and he used Orochimaru-Ryu no Kawarimi no Jutsu (Orochimaru-style Body Replacement Technique) to evacuate his old form and appear on the ground in a new cloak. He smirked and pushed his glasses up and glanced at the ANBU attackers who had already gotten between him and Anko. The Suna ANBU then lifted Anko out of the draining seal that Kabuto had put her in.

"I'm sorry, I am not finished with her yet," Kabuto said politely as he pushed up his glasses. "You'll have to return her to me."

Kuro's eyes narrowed behind his mask. "Not going to happen," he said as he got his tanto into his hand and with his left three blades made entirely of lightning shot up from the top of his wrist.

"Ah, the Raiton: Sanju Risutoken (Lightning Release: Triple Wrist Blade), that is quite a difficult technique..." Kabuto charged at him as his hands glowed with the Chakura no Mesu but Yugao immediately slammed several smoke bombs to the ground and temporarily blinded Orochimaru's successor.

They used the smoke as cover to leap away into the forest while they carried Anko and used a Shunshin to cover more area at high speed. Kabuto's trademark smirk narrowed into an annoyed, thin line as he slashed the air to clear the smoke from his face. He sighed and shook his head.

"Now that was just **rude**," Kabuto said as he bit his thumb and then smashed his hand down and a Kuchiyoise seal appeared below it and there was a massive burst of smoke...and Manda II was summoned to the scene. "Manda II, pursue them. Secure Anko and kill them all."

The island sized snake gave a roaring hiss at the order and then slammed down to the ground and moved an extremely high speed. Its belly scales dragged it along the earth as its small, dragon-like arms clawed into the dirt to pull it at even greater speeds. Trees were uprooted, flattened, or even thrown high into the air with each dragging slither.

The ANBU team had barely gotten a kilometer away when they noticed the ground shuddering at their feet and they looked back to see the gigantic Manda II surging towards them. It gave a hissing roar as it began to close the gap. Kuro then skidded on a branch and turned to face the gigantic serpent that was rapidly closing on them.

"I'll hold this thing off, get Anko to Alliance lines!" Kuro ordered as he pulled up his sleeves to reveal kanji scrawled on the bottom of his arms.

"Right Kuro-san!" Yugao said as they picked up the pace, leaping from tree to tree as they tried to get into the canopy.

Kuro did several seals as he charged lightning through his arms. The kanji scrolled on the bottom of his arms disappeared_ as _he shaped the now released chakra through his body. The force and power of the chakra caused his mask to crack and fly off as he finished the seal sequence. His eyes briefly lit up as the electricity also charged them.

"Hikoro-Ryu Raiton: Nibai Raiko Doragon (Hikoro-Style Lightning Release: Double Lightning Dragon)!" Kuro yelled as he then threw out both hands and natural lightning in the shape of dragons roared out and set the forest ablaze with the heat of the lightning. The Hikoro-Ryu Ninjutsu allows the user to seal elements inside their bodies and were even used to create the very seals for Killer Bee and Yugito. However, the elemental seals were hard to develop and were extremely dangerous and took a lot of chakra to unleash.

The gigantic lightning dragons charged right at Manda II's open mouth and the effect was almost immediate. Manda II howled in pain as its nerves were fried as the bolts of electricity surged through its body. From its back the surge was so much its spine exploded out from the overload and in an attempt to save itself, it burst away in a puff of smoke. Kuro dropped to his knees and he panted, breathing in and out as drops of sweat fell from his brow.

"Can't waste time resting..." Kuro said as he forced himself to stand up. "I'm still behind enemy lines."

With that, the ANBU Captain leaped back into the trees to catch up with his team. From Kabuto's summoning point, he had seen what happened. He sighed and pushed his glasses back up with his palm, looking at the devastation.

"Looks like I'll have to go for Plan B on keeping my Edo Tensei powered up, luckily Tobi has already provided it for me," Kabuto said with a smirk.

**Third Division, Land of Frost**

The battle against Kisame and the Edo Tensei that were summoned had already become very fierce. Scores of shinobi were dying as they attempted to fight the Edo Tensei that Kabuto had summoned to fight them. Kakashi was personally engaged in battle with Zabuza as Haku created hundreds of Makyō Hyōshō so he was virtually teleporting throughout the entire battlefield while killing dozens of Chunin and Jonin class shinobi. Sakura herself was engaged in combat with Pakura, her Chunin wakizashi was clashing against the Suna Kunoichi's kunai. And Rock Lee and Gai had engaged Gari in battle alongside several Kumo Shinobi.

Sakura and Pakura tossed several shuriken at each other which collided as they leaped in the air. The Suna kunoichi slashed and the pink-haired kunoichi dodged and unleashed a kick instead of slashing. Pakura grabbed a chain from her pack and latched around a tree to pull herself out of the way as Sakura landed and created a deep crater.

"That fighting style, its from the Legendary Sannin Tsunade..."

"She's my master," Sakura said as she widened her stance. I can't spend much time fighting her, the casualties are starting to rise...

"Indeed, which is why I should use my full power against you," Pakura said as she made a tiger seal. "Don't take it personally, I have no grudge against Konoha."

Sakura nodded as three...sun-like spheres formed on Pakura's back. This must have been what got her her nicknamed from before...Shakuton no Pakura.

"Shakuton: Kajōsatsu (Scorch Release: Extreme Steaming Murder)," Pakura said as she then took out another kunai. "Prepare yourself..."

"Haruno Sakura," Sakura said as she bit her thumb. Summoning Katsuyu and using Enkaku Chiyu (Remote Healing) will be the best strategy to fight her!

With that, Sakura slammed her palm to the ground and the jutsu's marks appeared on the ground. In a massive puff of smoke, the gigantic, 120 meter blue and white slug Katsuyu appeared. The pink-haired kunoichi stood on top of the giant slug's head as the wind whipped around her and her hair fluttered in the wind. Pakura didn't look too concerned as she prepared for battle.

"Katsuyu-sama, please distribute yourself amongst our forces," Sakura said as she did a seal. "Use the chakra from my seal to begin healing our allies."

"As you wish Sakura-chan," Katsuyu said as she did her mass division. One of her smaller copies crawled onto Sakura's shoulder and glowed green as it transferred the chakra with the Enkaku Chiyu.

All over the battlefield, the dying and wounded shinobi had Katsuyu's miniature clones attach to them and their wounds began to heal. Several critical shinobi were stabilized from the emergency transfer of chakra that Sakura had gave to them. But for many, it was too little too late-and Sakura felt every person she couldn't save.

Damn it... Sakura thought as she and Pakura began their duel anew.

Rock Lee and Gai had now split apart to deal with the threats of Gari and Haku respectively. The taijutsu masters engaged the Bakuton and Hyoton users at the same time, trying to keep them boxed in. Gari launched a sidekick that Rock Lee dodged.

"Bakuton: Jiraihando (Explosion Release: Landmine Kick)!" Gari yelled and slammed his heel into a unsuspecting Iwa Shinobi...and the shinobi cried out as he exploded in a shower of blood.

"Konoha Daisenpu (Leaf Great Whirlwind)!" Lee yelled as he swept the Bakuton user's ankle to trip him before he slammed his heel into Gari's stomach and sent him flying back as his arm was crushed and severed from the impact.

The damage from the kick had fractured Gari's Edo Tensei body and blown off his arm. Immediately he regenerated and he gave a grin. When it was fully reformed, he squeezed his hand into a tight fist and cracked his neck. The Bakuton user looked like he was excited.

"Its been a LONG time since I've faced a skilled taijutsu user!" Gari said as he got into a boxing-like stance. "I'm gonna enjoy this fight!"

Rock Lee tightened his Goken stance. "It will be an honor to fight you, Gari-san! I am Rock Lee, Konoha's Beautiful Green Beast!"

"Ah, that explains it, you're Maito Gai's protege!" Gari exclaimed with a grin. "Now I'm even more excited!"

I can't hold back! Time to go all out! Rock Lee thought as he reached into his leg warmers and then tossed the weights he was carrying away, the second they hit the ground they caused a large explosion. "My youth is going to blow you away!"

Rock Lee then ran full speed at Gari and the two began a fierce taijutsu duel. Lee was careful not to be hit or even block the Bakuton Taijutsu user's fists or kicks due to the danger of a explosion, instead he dodged and ducked every blow. However, when he attempted to counterattack with a roundhouse Gari blocked with his arm.

Undeterred, Rock Lee leaped back and then charged at full speed. He then vanished right from Gari's sight when he tried to punch him...and then Lee's heel smashed into his chin so hard his face was sent flying off...with the rest of his body. Rock Lee then appeared right behind him, his bandages now loose.

"Kage Buyō (Dancing Leaf Shadow)!" Lee yelled as his bandages moved on their own and wrapped around Gari. When Gari was completely immobilized by the bandages he grasped his shoulders. "Omote Renge (Front Lotus)!"

The two then spun at incredibly high speeds as they plunged to the ground. Lee let go just before they hit and the entire area cracked and splintered from the impact. He breathed in and out through his nose as he then yanked his bandages away...and saw...Gari had switched out with a log. Rock Lee blinked in surprise and his eyes darted back and forth before the log began glowing.

"Bakuton: Bakuyaku Dainyu no Jutsu (Explosion Release: Explosive Substitution Technique)," Gari said calmly as he reappeared and smashed his fists down onto two Kumo Ninja. "And a Bakuton: Jiraiken (Explosion Release: Landmine Fist) for good measure!"

The substituted log then exploded with such force Lee was sent flying off his feet and his flak jacket and green tights were torn. He managed to land on his feet but Gari was already on him, launching a flurry of punches and kicks. Disoriented from the explosion Rock Lee struggled to dodge each blow and then the Bakuton Taijutsu user's fist grazed his forearm and Lee felt himself be launched back by an explosion.

Lee rolled back and cried out in pain before he leaped back to his feet and winced in pain as blood began leaking from his arm. He squeezed his hand into a fist to test if his arm was still of use and he mentally breathed a sigh of relief.

"How did you get that substitution in time?" Rock Lee asked. "My kick practically destroyed your face, that should have incapacitated you!"

"Oh its not my first time facing the legendary Omote Renge, the first time it happened I was bedridden for nearly a month...I've learned to counter such an attack," Gari replied with a grin as a stray kunai with a explosive tag embedded itself in the ground behind him and ignited. "So I suggest if you have any long-ranged ninjutsu, you should use them. Fighting me close combat is suicide."

"Sorry...can't do," Rock Lee said as he straightened up. "You see, I'm a ninja who is unable to use ninjutsu or genjutsu! So I do everything with taijutsu!"

Gari blinked at that, and laughed. "Oh, that explains it..."

"And because of that, I'm going to defeat you!" Rock Lee announced and did a good guy pose. "So you can go back to sleep after this fight!"

And at the same moment, Kisame grinned madly as he slashed through several fireballs, wind blasts, and lightning bolts launched from a team of Konoha, Suna, and Kumo ninja right at him. He swung Sameha with one arm and slashed two of them in half before he punched another so hard he smashed into and through a tree. The Akatsuki swordsman gave a viscous grin as his shark-like eyes darted back and forth.

"Come on, anyone willing to really challenge me?!" he asked as the young Seven Swordsman jumped at him with his Hirameki drawn.

"Kisame-sempai, I will be your opponent!" Chojuro yelled as his Hirameki unleashed its chakra and formed a giant sword.

"Oohhh the new runt of the litter wants to fight!" Kisame yelled as he blocked Chojuro's attack and the two began a fierce sword duel. "Though I was hoping that dull beast would notice what I'm doing!"

Its just like my master says...his power is unbelievable! Chojuro thought as he ducked Kisame's punch and parried his blow.

The two then jumped back and Kisame then did several seals. "Suiton: Suikōdan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Shark Missile)!"

The Akatsuki Swordsman's cheeks bulged and he then shot out a gigantic water missile in the shape of a great white shark right at Chojuro who stood his ground and did his own seals. His own cheeks bulged a little bit and he lifted up two fingers. Breathing out through his nose he focused and his eyes narrowed behind his glasses.

_"Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Dragon Missile)!" Chojuro yelled and water burst from his mouth and in the shape of a dragon._

Both Suitons collided with explosive force and drenched the entire battlefield. Kisame didn't wait for the result though and charged through the shower at high speed while dragging Sameha on the ground to build up momentum. He slashed right at Chojuro who spun, had his Hirameki reform from a giant sword-blade into a hammer and smashed it full force right at Kisame.

Kisame shifted and hefted Sameha up and blocked with the flat side of her sword. "Very, very impressive kid. You're wielding that sword as good as Mangetsu did, making the Seven Swordsmen name proud."

"Not that I don't like the compliment but I'm not gonna stop until you're put down, Kisame-sempai!" Chojuro said with fire in his eyes.

"Oho, the little minnow from back then has grown into a shark himself, I like that," Kisame said as he then spun and hit the young Seven Swordsmen in the back with the flat side of Samehada hard enough to launch him into a tree. "But you still have a long way to reach my level."

Chojuro spat out blood as he collided with several shinobi who were trying to get into attacking position on Kisame. The young Seven Swordsman plunged the Hirameki into the ground and he forced himself to stand up despite the injury. It felt like his entire body had turned into jelly from the impact but he was standing on sheer willpower.

"I said...Kisame-sempai...I won't stop until I bring you down!" Chojuro announced as he panted and winced in pain.

"Grow a bit more and you'll manage to amuse me, Chojuro," Kisame said with a smirk. "And then you'll get to be a worthy opponent for me..."

From the water that was now scattered on the battlefield, Kisame created yet another shark missile and jumped onto its back as he saw a green blur. He smirked and then set off like a bullet right after the blur which was chasing a darker colored blur from mirror to mirror. He grinned like a madman as he lifted his Sameha over his head.

"And right here is the truly strange beast which I was hunting all over the battlefield!" He yelled as he brought his sword down to slash at Maito Gai.

Gai broke off his pursuit of Haku and skidded back...his old foe Kisame Hoshigaki now standing right in front of him after leaping off his shark missile which smashed into a few Kiri shinobi. The Akatsuki Swordsman then hefted his blade onto his shoulder and smirked.

"Now I have a question you dull beast..." Kisame started as his smirk widened. "Do you finally remember who I actually am?"

"...it appears we have fought in the past...after all you wield a giant sword!" Maito Gai said as he pointed at Kisame who sighed.

"...hopefully fourth time will be the charm for you to remember your damn opponent," Kisame said as he charged right at Gai.

**Mountain's Graveyard, Kabuto's location**

Kabuto had now...shed his skin and stood right in front of it. He smirked and charged chakra to his hand...and smashed it right into his old skin. From it five White Zetsus were forced out from rapid maturation and were left sprawled on the ground immobilized as large pythons that Kabuto had summoned restrained them and kept them from touching the ground. His smirk widened as the Zetsus all looked at him in shock.

"How...did you...discover us...?"

"Hard not to notice some of Hashirama's DNA being sprinkled onto me," Kabuto said with a grin as he looked like a kid in candy store. "I only wanted one, but Tobi decided to spoil me. Such a 'good guy'..."

"Tobi...won't let you get away with this!" one of the Zetsus protested.

"And now I think I have a volunteer. This will be my first Fushi Tensei (Living Corpse Reincarnation), so you will have to bear with me," Kabuto said as he did a seal and the Zetsu's mouth was forced open by the python constricting its coils.

The yellow eyes of the Zetsu widened as Kabuto's true serpentine form leaped out of his mouth. Before the Zetsu could even scream the necromancer plunged right into his mouth and down his throat. His brethren looked on in horror as the unfortunate White Zetsu's appearance changed...his pupil-less yellow eyes then gained the cat-like slit that had been in Kabuto's own and scales appeared. The python that had restrained it loosened its grip as it pushed itself up...Kabuto now was in full control as a snake grew out of his stomach and coiled around him like a tail.

"Ahhhh...the power of Hashirama Senju himself now..." Kabuto said as he squeezed his hand into a tight fist. He picked up his glasses and put his cloak back on. "Makes up for the loss of Anko's Curse Seal..." He took out a scroll and did three seals. "And now you four will be of some great use for my experiments later."

The four Zetsu cried out as they were sucked into the scroll and the character for 'White' appeared on it. Kabuto's abnormally long tongue flicked out like a snake as he grinned, he had turned a loss into a gain and had gained full control over the Mokuton ability that Orochimaru himself coveted. He glanced at his other scrolls...other samples of genetic material he would integrate into himself later. Kabuto walked over to where his 'game board' was to look at the progress of the current battle.

"Now I believe it is time to raise the stakes," he said as he pulled out seven new white pieces and then laid them onto the board where Zabuza, Gari, Pakura, and Haku were engaged with the Third Division.

**Third Division, Land of Frost**

On command, Pakura and Gari then leaped away from their duels with Sakura and Rock Lee as Haku and Zabuza themselves landed in the same area. At the same time, the Shakuton and Bakuton users smashed their hands to the ground and the summoning markings appeared and...seven coffins began rising. There was also another puff of smoke and Zabuza himself retrieved his legendary Kubikiribocho and swung it in one hand.

Kakashi's eye widened. "Everyone! Attack now before they finish summoning!"

All at once, the Third Division launched barrage of fireballs, lightning bolts, wind blasts, water blasts, earth projectiles, as well as giant shuriken, kunai, weapons laden with explosive tags, and even acid from the mini-Katsuyu's and lava from the Yoton users in the division. There were also several superheated ash blasts from the sole Haiton (Ash Release) user in the division which bolstered the power of the barrage. All the attacks hit home and there was a massive blast that shook the area but as the smoke cleared...the Third Division was beset by the entire lineup of the Seven Swordsmen themselves...and the Yondaime Mizukage himself.

Kisame jumped over and stood by his former comrades. "Hehehehe looks like the gang is ALL back together...!"

"...the situation has gotten even worse..." Kakashi said as he saw each Seven Swordsmen...and the dreaded Yondaime Mizukage Yagura.

Zabuza lifted his hand up and then unleashed the Kirigakure no Jutsu. As the mist covered the area, everyone around was blinded. Kakashi breathed in as the Allied Shinobi Forces all leaped into a defensive Manji position, they were back to back...and then the carnage began anew.

_To be continued..._

**Author's Notes:**

Sorry it took a while for an update. Lets just say the manga kind of left a lot of motivation to write out of it for a while, but that's mostly over now. I worked hard to get this chapter done and I hope you enjoy, so please read and review. Below will be some extra stuff (updated stats for Rock Lee and Sakura) as well as Kage Rankings and their Destructive Capabilities!

Stats:

Sakura:  
Nin: 5 (+1.5)  
Tai: 4.5 (+0.5)  
Gen: 5(+1)  
Int: 4 (+0)  
Str: 5 (+2)  
Spe: 4 (+1)  
Sta: 3.5 (+1)  
Sea: 4 (+0.5)  
Total: 35

Rock Lee:  
Nin: 0.5 (+0)  
Tai: 5 (+0)  
Gen: 1 (+0)  
Int: 3 (+1)  
Str: 5 (+0.5)  
Spe: 5 (+0.5)  
Sta: 5 (+1.5)  
Sea: 1 (+0)  
Total: 25.5 (Would be higher if he could use Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, from 22 in the Third Databook, no change due to his inability to use Ninjutsu and Genjutsu.)

Chojuro:

Nin: 3.5

Tai: 4.5

Gen: 2

Int: 4

Str: 5

Spe: 4

Sta: 3.5

Sea: 3

Total: 29.5

Pakura:

Nin: 5

Tai: 4  
Gen: 3

Int: 5

Str: 2

Spe: 4.5

Sta: 3

Sea: 5

Total: 31.5

Gari:

Nin: 4

Tai: 5

Gen: 2

Int: 3

Str: 5

Spe: 4.5

Sta: 3.5

Sea: 2

Total: 29

Kabuto Yakushi:

Nin: 5

Tai: 4

Gen: 5

Int: 5

Str: 3.5

Spe: 4.5

Sta: 5

Sea: 5

Total: 37

Tobi:

Nin: 5

Tai: 4.5

Gen: 5

Int: 5

Str: 4

Spe: 5

Sta: 5

Sea: 5

Total: 38.5

Hashirama Senju:

Nin: 5

Tai: 5

Gen: 5

Int: 4.5

Str: 5

Spe: 4.5

Sta: 5

Sea: 5

Total: 39

Tobirama Senju:

Nin: 5

Tai: 5

Gen: 3

Int: 5

Str: 5

Spe: 5

Sta: 5

Sea: 5

Total: 38

Minato Namikaze:

Nin: 5  
Tai: 4.5  
Gen: 4.5  
Int: 5  
Str: 4.5  
Spe: 5  
Sta: 4.5  
Sea: 5  
Total: 38

Current Gokage Rankings:

**1. Sandaime Tsuchikage Onoki**

Destructive Capability: Small City (1 megaton-5 megatons of power) to Small island (1 gigaton – 4 gigatons of power)

Strengths: Flight, Jinton, and Doton mastery makes him a masterful long-ranged combatant

Weaknesses: Old Age and a bad back, and not very fast

**2. Godaime Hokage Tsunade**

Destructive Capacity: Small City (1 megaton – 5 megatons of power)

Strengths: Extremely high Super Strength (strongest around next to Sage Mode/Kurama Chakra Mode Naruto), Regeneration, Indestructible Boss Summon in Katsuyu, extremely dangerous close combatant

Weaknesses: Lacks long ranged techniques

**3. Godaime Kazekage Gaara**

Destructive Capacity: Large Town Level (Around 135 Kilotons, Large town level goes up to 999 kilotons from 50 kilotons)

Strengths: Able to control an energy desert, as well as his super strong and fast gourd sand, as well as Futons (Wind Release Techniques) and flight, and near impenetrable defense

Weaknesses: Limited close combat techniques, larger techniques drain his impressive stamina quickly

**4. Godaime Mizukage Mei Terumi**

Destructive Capacity: Town Level (Around 20-49 kilotons based on her melting of Sasuke's Susano'o and her highly impressive Suitons)

Strengths: Two Kekkei Genkai in Yoton and Futton, both of which are able to damage a technique like Susano'o despite its extremely high defense, and her incredible Sutions and Manta Ray summon gives her flight

Weaknesses: Close combat, she is passable in it but not as good as others.

**5. Yondaime Raikage A**

Destructive Capacity: High Multi-City Block Level (Between 700 tons to 5.99 Kilotons)

Strengths: Fastest Shinobi alive (not counting Naruto and Minato), which means he's in the Massively Hypersonic (Mach 100+) range compared to most high level shinobi which are above Mach 40+, and he has a massive amount of physical strength behind him (though less than Tsunade), Raiton no Yoroi provides him a high level of defense and he has high pain tolerance

Weaknesses: Versatility. He has absolutely no long-ranged techniques and focuses solely on his nintaijutsu instead of any other Ninjutsu techniques. In canon, he also lacks his primary, strongest arm.

Note: It is possible for A to win against any of them due to his high level of speed, but he's at a decided disadvantage against most of the other Kages. They all have answers for his techniques, and some (such as Tsunade and Gaara) have reactions to at least react to him, or regenerate (like Tsunade) from his hit. All the Gokage are generally around the same level, though there has to be the strongest of the group.


	21. Battle of the Mist Part 2

Chapter 21: Battle in the Mists Part 2

**Third Division, Land of Frost**

The thick, heavy mist blanketed the entire area. Kakashi's eyes narrowed as the full lineup was in front of him...the entire lineup of Seven Swordsmen: wielder of the Kubikiribocho the 'Seversword', Mamochi Zabuza; the former wielder of Samehada the 'Greatsword', orange-haired obese shark-man Suikazan Fuguki; the wielder of long, thin giant needle Nuibari the 'Longsword' masked Kuriarare Kushimaru; the wielder of the ax-hammer Kabutowari the 'Bluntsword', dwarf-like Akebino Jinin; the wielder of the explosive tag rigged Shibuki the 'Blastsword', one eyed dual bearded Munashi Jinpachi; the wielder of the twin electric blades Kiba the 'Boltswords', the only female member of the team Ringo Ameyuri; and finally the former wielder of the double handled Hirameki the 'Twinsword' and by extension all seven blades of the Seven Swordsmen, Hozuki Mangetsu. And it got even worse, the late Yondaime Mizukage of the 'Bloody Mist' and the youngest Kage ever, Sanbi no Yagura (Yagura the Three-Tails). Yagura reached up and grasped his flower-staff on instinct.

"Where...where am I...?" Yagura asked as he looked around. Karin hid behind one of the Kumo ninja as she shuddered while carrying a kunai.

_That guy's chakra...its...its enormous...and...there are two sources?!_ Karin thought as she gulped. One of the mini-Katsuyu's then attached to her as Sakura leaped down in front of Pakura.

Kabuto smirked at his location. _Yagura is now basically the same he was in life...I sealed the genetic material Orochimaru-sama had gathered from the Sanbi into him...he could even fully transform if he needs to._

Kisame gave a chuckle. "Who would have thought that we'd meet again, Mizukage-sama? This really is like the old days..."

"Kisame?!" Yagura turned and saw the Seven Swordsmen he had assigned in the past. "...this is...the Nidaime Hokage's jutsu then. I thought he burned all knowledge of it."

"Apparently not, Mizukage-sama...and we're right in a war again," Jinpachi said as he grasped Shibuki. "Look at the array of ninja set against us, its not just Kirigakure is marshaled against us, but all five Great Nations."

"Whoever summoned us must be quite a challenge," Kushimaru said as he lifted up the Nuibari and felt the wire that was connected to it.

Ameyuri smirked. "Well then, I suppose we'll have to show why we earned our titles eh, boys?"

"...you're still sore you didn't get a boyfriend before you died didn't you, Ameyuri?" Mangetsu asked in a deadpan style.

"Shut up you watery bastard!" Ameyuri snapped as she twirled her Kiba blades. "Or I'll smash your face in like in the old days!"

"Kids these days..." Jinin muttered as he lifted the ax of the Kabutowari up and put it onto his shoulder. "We kind of have a job here don't we?"

"Yeah, we should just get this over with," Fuguki said as he lifted his Samehada replica. "I take no pleasure in it...but what do you say Zabuza?"

Zabuza didn't respond. He just lifted his arm up and made the mists he created earlier even thicker and grasped the hilt of his Kubikiribocho. His...colleagues looked at him in a bit of shock as Yagura himself lifted off his flower-staff off his back, his eyes hardened as he prepared for battle.

Kakashi lifted up his arm in a signal: enter Manji Formation with sensors in the middle. If they lose their sensors they'd be completely blind in this mist. Sakura went into Manji Formation with Rock Lee as well as a Iwa Kunoichi named Kuzoko Ami-the Haiton user from before and Karin. The former Taka sensor gulped while she held her kunai, her red eyes darted back and forth as she tried to keep calm.

"You've...fought the guy using Suigetsu's sword before, Sakura?" Karin asked as she clutched the kunai like her life depended on it.

"Yeah, my very first A-Rank mission when Naruto, Sasuke, and I were just fresh genin," Sakura replied as her green eyes darted back and forth. "Zabuza is a master of the Sairento Kiringu or Silent Killing. We can't see in this mist so Karin, use your sensing to the best of your abilities."

"Yosh! Then we'll retaliate before they can strike!" Rock Lee said as he grasped his own kunai, the wound he had gotten before had healed thanks to the Enkaku Chiyu Sakura was providing him.

"I will aid as well," Katsuyu said as her eye stocks raised and looked around. "I can sense my copies and they can tell me when..."

And at that moment, the carnage began anew. Several shinobi were suddenly ambushed by Pakura who had three orbs, small suns practically that floated behind her back. She engaged them in taijutsu and pushed out her arms and the orbs slammed into and through their bodies...which made their bodies dry up and mummify nigh instantly. She dodged two more attacks and sent her orbs smashing through her attackers' bodies before she kicked their mummified corpses away.

Gari himself was now engaged in combat with a group of Kumo Ninja which he deliberately broke their manji formation to do so. He dodged a punch from the big Kumo Ninja named Takiji, rushed into his guard and then smashed his fist right into Takiji's armpit. Blood burst from his mouth as he stumbled back...before his body glowed brightly and then exploded and took out the rest of his comrades in a shower of gore.

All over the battlefield, several shinobi tried fighting against the Seven Swordsmen. A group of five was then pierced by the Nuibari several times until they were strung together in a compressed ball with the wires enclosing in on them so tightly their flesh was rend from their bodies. Behind his mask, Kushimaru gave a smirk as he tugged and the unfortunate shinobi were killed by the pressure. He dodged several kunai and shuriken and used the Nuibari to block.

The dance-like movements of Ameyuri Ringo kept the Alliance Ninja off guard as they tried to attack her from all angles. She spun, ducked, and twirled out of the way of every kunai and shuriken toss as she pointed her Kiba blades out in opposite directions and lightning bolts streaked through them. She grinned and took a bow...before she spun at high speed like she was a top and began to slash through and bisect her unfortunate opponents. Even when the Alliance Shinobi tried to counter with Raiton Chakra Flow she effortlessly cut through their blades and beheaded them.

The dwarf Akebino Jinin leaped towards three Iwa shinobi who blocked his ax-end Kabutowari with their own katanas. Jinin gave a smirk and then swung the hammer on his chained sword and all three katanas snapped like feeble twigs and they were summarily decapitated by the ax-end of the Kabutowari. The sadistic little dwarf smirked maliciously as he was covered in his unfortunate opponents blood.

There were a series of explosions as Shibuki detonated roll after roll of explosive tags that had been attached to its blade. Unlike his comrades Munashi Jinpachi viewed the battle in a more strategic light and deftly dodged each explosion-and the gore that came with it as he slashed his blade. Several dozen shinobi leaped at him as he spun and had the explosive tags come out and lay at the ground...and then he severed them from the main source and leaped as there was a large blast which shook the surrounding area.

Suikazan Fuguki was surprisingly agile for his obese frame and he literally danced around the slashes and jutsus launched against him. He did a seal and his hair then suddenly hardened and he launched a barrage of spikes made out of his own hair into a group of Allied Shinobi. He then summoned a long, thin katana that looked like it was also made of scales like Samehada and he slashed through two opponents and stole their chakra.

"Thanks for that meal," Fuguki said as he then blocked a meat-cleaver blade from an Kumo shinobi.

Mangetsu himself took full advantage of his Hozuki Hiden and his Edo Tensei regeneration: he walked through a barrage of kunai and Dotons and instead of his body being blown into ash and paper he turned into water and became a puddle on the ground. Reformed from that state though he had all the weapons he'd ever need...and he lifted his hand up.

"Suiton: Mashin Gan (Suiton: Machine Gun)!" and with that he fired several hundred water bullets in quick succession in such away that his opponents neither had time to block or dodge. "All too easy..."

Zabuza himself was in his mind controlled state and he swung the Kubikiribocho around and appeared in the blind spot of a group of four Kiri Ninja. With one silent swing he beheaded them all and moved to the next group, his silent killing as lethal as ever. He would appear right in the midst of his targets without them knowing and kill them in one strike with his sword...only the sensors or Katsuyu mini-clones would give some advanced warning...which would be too late.

But by far the most dangerous and strongest of the enemy summoned there, even with Hoshigaki Kisame there was the Yondaime Mizukage Yagura. Water burst from his flower staff and he created three water mirrors which sent a mirrored clone of his attackers right back at them before he literally surfed on the water he created and then swung his staff and sent a blade of water into three Kiri and two Konoha shinobi and cut them in half diagonally. He was pulling the water from the mist and did five seals and created a Water Dragon, a giant Shark, and finally a dragon beast in the shape of a Giant Squid and he commanded his water constructs to attack as the Alliance Shinobi hastily constructed gigantic walls of earth in an attempt to block. But it all had been for nothing as the three tremendously powerful Suitons smashed through them like they weren't even there and a local rain shower of both water and blood in the area. If it weren't for Sakura and Katsuyu, the casualties would have been much greater.

Sai and Omoi had been one of those few survivors as several Konoha Shinobi immediately counter attacked and dashed towards the Yondaime Mizukage. They were from the Sarutobi clan and they did several seals and launched a gigantic Katon which combined into a fireball with tremendous destructive power. In response Yagura just stood there and a red aura began bubbling up around his body and he crossed his arms as the fireball streaked towards him and impacted with enough force to level an small town. When the smoke cleared the Yondaime Mizukage was still there...completely unharmed and surrounded by a bubbling red aura with three tails.

"...he is the Yondaime Mizukage after all," Sai said to himself as he used his Chōjū Giga to create giant snakes to yank away the Sarutobi Clan members before the Yondaime Mizukage could grab them with chakra arms that sprouted from his body.

"...whoever is controlling me is very good, he was able to get the Sanbi back into me somehow," Yagura warned as his chakra cloak sizzled around him. "I can't control my movements, if any of you have powerful attacks use them now since he'll probably force me to transform!"

Sakura had now intercepted Pakura's next attack and back flipped and dodged the small suns coming at her from all directions. Despite her tremendous agility though one almost closed in before a cloud of superheated ash shot right at it and detonated it and the Haiton user, Kuzoko Ami had came to her aid. The long brown haired, lightly-dark skinned kunoichi landed next to her. Karin also formed up with them, determined to put her sensing abilities and if need be, her healing abilities to good use.

"Thought you could use my help Sakura-dono," Ami said with a grin.

"Much appreciated Ami-dono," Sakura sad and grinned back.

"I'll pinpoint where the attacks are coming from and warn you in advance," Karin said as she grasped a kunai. _I won't be useless here, I'll help!_

"Glad for all the help you can give Karin!" Sakura said as she squeezed her hand into a tight fist and charged chakra into it. "Follow my lead!"

With that Sakura charged forward as Ami and Karin went into opposite directions. Pakura was forced to chose which to attack and she created yet another sun with her Shakuton and sent it right out to attack the pink haired kunoichi who immediately ducked and slid under it and barely avoided its heat. Karin tossed a flurry of explosive tags to cover and the Shakuton user shunshined away and avoided Sakura's punch which shattered the ground.

"Haiton: Bakuyaku Kaijin Shuha (Ash Release: Explosive Ash Wave)!" Ami yelled ad she did several seals and shot forth a wave of ash colored red from her mouth as Pakura landed on a tree branch.

The Shakuton user leaped out of the way as the wave of ash smothered the tree and the forest behind it before it exploded. Sakura met her in the air and smashed her fist down at Pakura who managed to Kawarimi out of the way. Karin managed to pinpoint where she'd reappear and shunshined herself and stabbed Pakura on the side with her kunai. Paper and ash burst from the Shakuton user's side and she backhanded Karin away right into Ami who readied yet another attack.

Pakura was faster and sent one of her suns at Karin who barely rolled out of the way and Ami countered with her Haiton but the other two suns went after Sakura. The medic avoided the first just as a damp cloth wrapped around the other and completely extinguished it and Kiri Kunoichi named Ruka and a Suna kunoichi-a sealing specialist named Maki arrived in a Shunshin. Pakura's eyes widened and narrowed.

"Maki...and you're working with a Kirigakure kunoichi now..." Pakura said as she straightened up and faced the team of kunoichi directly.

"Things have changed from before sensei, the entire world has united to defeat who is controlling you and his partner," Maki said as she unraveled more of her sealing cloth. "And we're going to defeat you here."

Pakura's eyes darted back and forth. _Tsunade's apprentice is by far the most dangerous of this group, and the Haiton user has ranged attacks that can counter my __Kajōsatsu __and to make it worse, a Suiton user can extinguish them as well..._

Sakura then charged forward again and took out her smoke bombs. Pakura jumped back as the pink haired kunoichi tossed them at her and the bombs burst and a fragrance like cherry blossoms entered the Shakuton user's nose. Sakura then did several seals.

"Magen: Sakurabana Naraku (Demonic Illusion: Cherry Blossom Hell)!" Sakura yelled and activated the genjutsu she developed in her training with Kakashi.

Immediately Pakura was then pulled to a realm of pink colored trees and a strong gust of wind blew through them and the petals began to...attach onto the Shakuton user's body. Her eyes widened and she tried getting them off, even tried to burn them off with a Katon and her Kajōsatsu but it did nothing. The petals then became sharp and launched themselves at her body as the sky turned red.

And in the real world Pakura was left completely vulnerable. Before she could even break the genjutsu she was under Sakura slammed her fist into the Shakuton user's body and it was shattered with a huge gaping hole and her Kajōsatsu dissipated and what was left of the Edo Tensei smashed into and threw scorched tree. As her body regenerated Pakura looked as Maki jumped right at her and wrapped her in a sealing cloth before placing the tag on it.

"If you two hadn't shown up, that had been a lot harder," Sakura said with a grin as an explosion in the distance broke their reverie. "We still have a job to do! Split up into teams of two and begin working in trying to corral these Swordsmen!"

"Right!" Ami said with a grin and punched her fist to her hand. "Karin, you're with me! That sensing of yours is amazing!"

"Thanks Ami-san," Karin said with a grin and both of them shunshined in the opposite direction to join the main fight.

"We'll go aid Kakashi-san," Maki said and she and Ruka both leaped away and left Sakura alone.

At the same time Rock Lee was engaged in a fierce battle with Gari once more. The Bakuton taijutsu user was extremely skilled and he could barely get close. Even with his weights gone Gari was able to not only keep up but match his speed. He also had to be very careful of Gari's explosive kawarimi's or even getting touched by the man due to his Kekkei Genkai.

He back flipped away and vanished in a flash of speed to avoid the next punch which sent blasts of shrapnel flying right at Konoha's Green Beast. Rock Lee caught the shrapnel between his fingers and tossed it away as he went for a Dainamikku Entorī (Dynamic Entry) flying sidekick right at Gari and managed to smash his chest hard enough to make him skid back.

"Gonna have to do better than that kid," Gari said with a smirk and Rock Lee instantly backed off.

_Looks like I have no choice!_ Rock Lee thought as he landed by a group of sealers.

Rock Lee crossed his arms and focused and the veins on his head bulged. His skin turned red and then his hair levitated with a burst of chakra around his body and his pupils vanished from his eyes...the ground quaked and shattered at his feet as his chakra began to wrap around the taijutsu master. Suddenly the aura turned green as he entered Keimon, the Sixth Gate of Joy. The explosive burst of chakra completely cleared the surrounding area of the mist and allowed the shinobi around Rock Lee to counter and fight back against the Seven Swordsmen that were attacking them.

Gari lifted his arms up to shield his eyes as he flew back from the shockwave of chakra Rock Lee had unleashed and his eyes widened in shock. _Six gates?! This kid can open __**six**__ of the celestial gates?! How the hell is that possible?! _

"Here I come, Gari-san!" Rock Lee announced and in a burst of speed he completely vanished from Gari's field of view but his ears could ear several dozen sonic booms following.

Gari's eyes darted back and forth as he tried to predict where Rock Lee would materialize. The microsecond he looked in the other direction Konoha's Beautiful Green Beast appeared, his shin and foot on fire as he kicked the Bakuton user right into the sky with such force he broke the sound barrier several times. As ash and paper flew from Gari's chin Lee appeared right in front of him with his arms out and his hands glowing.

"Asu Kujaku (Morning Peacock)!" Rock Lee yelled as he launched a barrage of punches that were moving so fast he created massive, hot fireballs from the friction. The barrage shattered and burned Gari's Edo Tensei body as he was sent crashing to the ground.

Lee landed at the same time Gari impacted the ground. In the shallow crater as his body began regenerating, the Bakuton user gave a...thumb's up to his younger opponent. Before he could finish regenerating, sealing clothes immediately wrapped around him and the tags were placed to seal his defeat. Rock Lee gave a grin and he looked around, if not for Sakura's constant healing chakra he would have started to feel the effects of using Keimon by now.

_Yosh! Now time to aid the others!_

Kakashi was now engaged in a fierce battle with Zabuza and Haku. Even with their minds wiped, the two's teamwork was almost completely flawless. The second he went to attack either he'd be on an the receiving end of a counter attack from either Haku or Zabuza. His Sharingan worked overtime as he tried to predict and counter each counterattack while remaining on the offensive himself.

He twirled his kunai and charged it with a Raikiri and blocked the Demon of the Hidden Mist's Kubikiribocho and chipped the blade while simultaneously ducking the Yuki Senbon that Haku had created from the midst. Kakashi tossed several dozen Raikiri charged kunai right at the Hyoton user who immediately disappeared into one of his Ice Mirrors to avoid the attack.

_If these two fought like this on the bridge that day, Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and I would have truly been completely wiped out_, Kakashi thought as he dodged the overhead swing of from Zabuza. _I need to separate them...there's one technique I can use to deal with one now..._

Kakashi's Sharingan spun as he activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, the image of a spinning three-bladed shuriken appeared in his iris. With Sakura constantly healing him, he wouldn't have to worry about the chakra limit at the moment but he still didn't want to use Kamui liberally at this time due to how long and big the War was going to rage. He chose his target and moved at high speed with a his Raikiri charged kunai in his hand.

Predictably Haku flew at him from an ice mirror in the sky as he went to attack Zabuza. He spun upwards and looked. "KAMUI!"

Instantly a small tear in space time opened up on Haku's forehead and sucked him in like a black hole would. Due to the speed Haku attacked with and the split second timing of Kakashi, the Edo Tensei Hyoton user had been completely consumed by the Kamui he had used. Kakashi still suffered an after effect from sending a full sized human to the Kamui dimension...just as Zabuza slashed him diagonally down the chest.

"Damn it!" Kakashi jumped back, his flak jacket's steel underlay protected him from most of the slash but blood splashed out of the wound he had suffered. Immediately it mostly stitched close from Sakura's healing but it _still_ hurt like hell. "At least there is one down..."

He jumped back and formed a formation with a Yamanaka and Nara who were coordinating with a group of sealers. Ensui and Santa glanced at him as Kakashi formulated a new plan to deal with Zabuza-the damage already dealt to the Kubikiribocho had regenerated from the copy ninja's own blood.

"Santa-san, first up switch your mind with mine with your Shintenshin, and Ensui-san use your Kagemane to follow my shadow," Kakashi ordered as his brilliant mind formed the perfect plan to deal with Zabuza. "When I've damaged him with my Raikiri _immediately_ capture his shadow and use Kage Nui to further restrain him. Tsuno-dono, then you move in and seal him! Understand?!"

"Yes Kakashi-daicho!"

Immediately the plan went into action, Kakashi's mind and shadow respectively were replaced and taken over by Santa and Ensui. With that, he charged with his Raikiri charged kunai still in hand and engaged Zabuza in combat. Without Haku to help him, nor with a water source nearby most of the Demon's arsenal was neutralized but he was still an extremely dangerous opponent. Santa controlled Kakashi's body to avoid the horizontal slash from Zabuza and then thrust his lightning charged weapon forward.

Before Zabuza could react his wrist was severed from the Raikiri kunai and his chest was impaled by the weapon. Ensui then immediately transferred his shadow to Zabuza's as Santa released the Shintenshin. As the Demon of the Hidden Mist's body began to fall apart from the damage it received and the regeneration tried to take hold, Tsuno, the Suna sealing ninja that was nearby immediately wrapped him with the cloth and sealed him. Kakashi breathed in and out through his nose, his eyes narrowed in anger. During the _entire_ fight he could remember how the Wave Country mission went, with Naruto's words that he liked Zabuza and Haku despite being enemies with them at that time. He grabbed the fallen Kubikiribocho and squeezed the handle. The blinding mist cleared throughout the battlefield as the sun began to shine once more.

"For the first time in years, I am truly _enraged," _Kakashi said as Ruka and Mari arrived. "Everyone stand back and be prepared, the Copy Ninja, the master of 1000 Jutsu is going to go on a rampage!"

**Kamui Dimension**

Haku's Edo Tensei body fell onto a block with a thud and his body regenerated from the damage that was dealt by the transport. Slowly, every so slowly Haku mind...returned to him and the controlling Fuda was forced out of his head due to the signal no longer being there. The Hyoton user staggered and he blinked in surprise.

"I can't...feel that man's influence anymore..." Haku said as he looked around in surprise. "...though...where the heck am I...?

He jumped from platform to platform and began a journey to try to find where exactly he was. The fuda that had been controlling him previously rolled off the platform he landed on and fell into the black depths to be lost forever.

**Mountain's Grave, Kabuto's location**

Kabuto looked up in surprise. Haku's piece had just...completely vanished. There wasn't even a trace of him left on the board. If he had been sealed the spymaster would have sensed it. His eyes narrowed as he knelt down further in front of his game board which represented the battles that were in progress.

_What did Kakashi's jutsu actually **do?** From my intelligence it shouldn't have been able to completely remove Haku..._ Kabuto gritted his teeth though he composed himself. "No matter, I'll just have to figure it out later...time to wrap this battle up after all."

His trademark smirk appeared on his face again as he looked at the pieces he still had on the board. Despite losing his initial four Edo Tensei that were there, he still had plenty of powerful ones. Worse comes to worse, he'd fall back and shift the battlefield into the forests around the area.

"Lets kick this battle _up_ a notch."

**Third Division, Battle of Frost Country**

Yagura suddenly looked up as his mind was crushed. His Version 1 cloak began to spin around him as a massive amount of chakra was expelled from his body, the very ground itself cracked and shattered. His face became more...bestial. Kakashi who was nearby had to shield his vision as the chakra began getting a bit more...caustic and the very air itself heated up. And then the Yondaime Mizukage let out a loud roar as he was covered in a dark dome...and when the smoke cleared he was in the Version 2 state. The shock wave sent dozens of shinobi off their feet as Yagura settled onto all fours and gave a low growl. Despite his mind being crushed...the beast inside wasn't.

"**Time...to CRUSH...**"

Kakashi lifted up the Kubikiribocho and charged a Raikiri through it. "Everyone, focus on containment! We have to wear him down!"

"Easier said than done," a Kiri shinobi said with a gulp and grasped his own katana.

"We're having a hard enough time with the Seven Swordsmen, now we're going to have to fight the Yondaime Mizukage while he's using his Biju's abilities?!"

"Even though it makes it harder, we're gonna win," a tall, muscular one armed Iwa Shinobi named Monga said. "Just like Kakashi-dono said, we have to contain him and then wear him down!"

And at that moment Yagura vanished in a blur of speed and grasped two of the shinobi from Kumo and Suna by the head and smashed both them to the ground. They screamed as coral-like growths grew onto their faces and the Mizukage squeezed his hands into tight fists and everyone heard a sickening crunch. Kakashi immediately leaped into his own attack and slashed with the giant Kubikiribocho and Yagura grasped the lightning charged blade with one hand before he slammed the Copy Ninja in the chest with his tail with such force he was sent into the sky.

Kakashi coughed up a bit of blood but managed to recover and landed on his feet. He signaled with Monga and the two did a two tiered Doton jutsu, the muscular armed Iwa Shinobi smashed his hand to the ground to raise up a thick earth wall as Kakashi created three others to trap the Mizukage in. Monga then attached a dozen explosive tags to the wall he created and then launched it right at Yagura. The stone exploded and showered Yagura with shrapnel.

"Did we get him?" Monga asked as the shrapnel and fireball did...absolutely nothing to the Mizukage Jinchuriki.

Yagura then unleashed a roar which sent a pulse of chakra all around him and blew through the Dotons that Kakashi had created. The copy ninja gritted his teeth and charged up a Raikiri and then dashed forward at full speed. The Yondaime Mizukage spun and Kakashi stabbed forward and the lightning blade barely dented the Version 2 cloak and then Yagura grabbed him with a chakra arm. Kakashi barely managed to Kawarimi out of it and landed back at Monga's side.

"Just like Naruto's, no getting through that cloak conventionally," Kakashi said, breathing in and out through his nose as he grabbed the Kubikiribocho once more.

"Why don't you use that technique that you used before?"

"That still takes far too much chakra out of me," Kakashi said as he lifted up the blade. "Even with Sakura constantly replenishing my reserves, I need to conserve Kamui for when I really and truly need it."

Monga nodded. "I see, do you have a plan then Kakashi-daicho?"

"...working on it," Kakashi said as Yagura then wrapped his tails around him and unleashed them in a chakra shockwave.

At the same time Sakura was engaged in combat with Ameyuri Ringo of the Seven Swordsmen. The spinning, dance-like style that Ameyuri utilized made it hard for the pink-haired kunoichi to counter. She flowed Raiton through the tanto she had earned when she had became a Chunin and blocked the Kiba blades as best she could.

"Oh you're good at this!" Ameyuri said as she dipped and unleashed a kick while she swung her left blade.

Sakura jumped back and avoided the slash and the kick. "I'll take that as a compliment..."

Ameyuri grinned and bore her shark-like teeth as she then slammed her blade down to the ground. "Raiton: Raiko Tenkin (Lightning Release: Lightning Transmission)!"

A blast of lightning then traveled through the ground at Sakura and she cried out and received a painful shock. She stumbled backwards and Ameyuri pounced and stabbed the pink-haired kunoichi through the stomach and impaled her to the hilt while she sent another shock through her body and finished with another spin-kick. Sakura tumbled back as blood burst from her mouth as her wound sizzled and closed from the Sōzō Saisei.

_Her Raiton...its like Sasuke's..._ Sakura thought as Ameyuri flicked her blade to clean off the pink-haired kunoichi's blood. _Its like she's trying to short out my healing with each burst..._

"Come on, entertain me a bit more!" Ameyuri yelled as she charged at Sakura again and let lose a burst of Raiton through her blades.

Sakura dodged the lightning bolts that were launched at her as Ameyuri spun and tilted, swiping her blades at the pink-haired kunoichi. Sakura dodged and ducked as her eyes darted back and forth and tried to see what foot she'd lead on. Ameyuri then switched her stance and punched Sakura right in the jaw and sent her skidding back before she leaped and slashed once again.

Sakura dodged...charged chakra to her fist and _smashed_ it right into Ameyuri Ringo's stomach. "I am NOT backing down here!"

The air was forced out of Ameyuri's lungs...and then her body was blown apart from the expulsion of chakra. Sakura panted as her fist dropped low and she wiped the blood off of her lip. Ameyuri had been really strong and her style harder to predict...it was almost sheer luck that Sakura had managed to decipher the weakness of it and land the only blow she'd need.

As Ameyuri regenerated a cloth wrapped around the seven swordsman and sealed her before she could get back up and fight again. Her Kiba Blades hadn't been sealed...and Sakura lifted them up and twirled them and got a good feel for them. Since she was a Raiton affinity...they'd do well for her. Just as she thought of that there was a gigantic impact in the distance and Katsuyu looked up on her shoulder.

"Kakashi-san and Monga-san are struggling against the Yondaime Mizukage...he's entered a state similar to that of Naruto's!"

"They're going to need backup then," Sakura said as she put her new blades to her hip and jumped into the air to back up her sensei.

And at the same moment, Rock Lee was fighting Fuguki Suikazan and Munashi Jinpachi at the same time. He was still in the sixth gate so he was holding his own against both incredible opponents and Suikazan's Samehada replica managed to shave a bit of the chakra released whenever he dodged. He jumped back and avoided Jinpachi's Shibuki slash which caused an explosion that rocked the entire area.

"Quite the speedy kid," Jinpachi said as he twirled his Shibuki. "Using the Celestial Gates..."

"And Goken as his primary fighting style," Suikazan added as he bent forward and launched a barrage of needles from his hair.

Lee dodged and blocked with kunai as he jumped back. "And you two live up to your legends! Like with Gari-san, its an honor to fight you both!"

Rock Lee charged forward at full speed, his feet ignited as he launched two kicks at both Swordsmen. Fuguki and Jinpachi blocked and repelled him and Lee jumped back and pulled out two metal tonfas that ended in dragons. He spun them quickly and charged his chakra through them before he pushed them forward and sent a shockwave out. These were the custom weapons made for him for the War...the Tsuin-Ryu Tonfa to compliment the best nunchucks his sensei had the Sōshūga.

"Now I am going on a full offensive!" Rock Lee announced as he then dashed forward at full speed and vanished.

Fuguki's eyes darted back and forth before Lee reappeared and smashed his left tonfa right into his back. The corpulent swordsman stumbled forward as ash and paper flew off his body. He slashed backwards with his Samehada replica and Rock Lee blocked with his right tonfa before he did a spin kick-which ignited his feet and smashed into Fuguki's chest. The air was forced out of the corpulent swordsman's reincarnated lungs...and then he was lit on fire and sent right into Jinpachi.

Jinpachi managed to leap out of the way and unraveled a bunch of the tags on his Shibuki and created a circle around his body. Just as Lee entered it he detonated the tags and he was caught in the full force of the explosion which sent him flying into the air covered in burns and scratches. He gritted his teeth and the explosive swordsman didn't give him a chance to recover and shot out a blast of water.

Lee jumped to the side but he received a slash on his side from the water blast. Katsuyu transferred more of Sakura's healing chakra to him but it still hurt.

_Jinpachi's sword is the most dangerous here! _Rock Lee thought as he winced, the wound sizzled closed but left a nasty scar.

Jinpachi then charged him. "Do you have more boy? Since I am just getting started!"

He drove Lee backwards and slashed at him several times and tried to corner him or make him block. Even with the Sixth Gate active, Jinpachi was nearly as fast with his strikes and his sheer skill made up for the physical difference. Rock Lee managed to land on his back foot and spun and aimed for Jinpachi with a side kick. The explosive swordsman dodged just as Lee saw dozens of spikes launch at him from. He twirled his Tsuin-Ryu Tonfas like a fan and blocked the spikes before he jumped back and dodged Fuguki's overhand slash with his Samehada replica.

Fuguki grinned. "If I had been alive, that attack would have put me down for good. Nice one kid!"

Rock Lee skidded back and ducked the horizontal slash from Jinpachi which severed some hair from his head. He then kicked up and managed to hit Jinpachi in the chin but it didn't do nearly enough damage and just sent the explosive swordsman backwards and he landed near Fuguki.

"Bout time you recovered you fat idiot," Jinpachi said as he flicked a fresh roll onto his Shibuki's cutter.

"You looked like you pretty much had it handled. Don't forget, _I_ was Mangetsu's second in command and wielder of the strongest sword."

"Shame your sword is now being wielded by Kisame back there," Jinpachi pointed out and he looked right at Rock Lee.

"This replica is just as good...it seems it was made out of Samehada's own cells," Fuguki retorted and the two nodded at each other. "Time to finish this up though."

"Good point. Least you're more agreeable than Kushimaru," Jinpachi said as he spun his blade.

_There's no choice! With these two opponents...I'll have to go beyond Keimon!_ Rock Lee thought as a blood vessel appeared on his forehead. _No time to worry if I can handle it or not! Seventh Gate of Shock...__Kyōmon...OPEN!_

With that, a new burst of chakra went through his body and his very sweat began evaporating around him...creating a deeper green aura. The release of all that chakra cratered the ground immensely as Rock Lee sank into it and he threw out his arms and unleashed a destructive shockwave that upturned large slabs of rock and shattered trees behind him.

"I...can...DO THIS!" Rock Lee yelled as he then vanished at high speed and before Jinpachi could even counter...Lee's tonfa smashed right into his cheek and he crashed right into Fuguki with such force they flew through a few large trees.

_That power...this kid...can even open the SEVENTH gate?!_ Jinpachi thought as paper and ash flew off his body. He didn't see, due to the speed which they were thrown, the Tsuin-Ryu were thrown up in the air and Lee appeared right before them and made a single hand seal which seemed to...glow around his fingers.

"HIRUDORA (Daytime Tiger)!" Lee yelled and he mimicked the moves that Gai had taught him and pushed his hands out...the aura of a white tiger surrounded him as the attack went out.

The tiger shaped aura condensed and smashed right into Jinpachi's chest and sent both him and Fuguki backwards through the forest before the roaring tiger...detonated in a massive dome that sent a shockwave through the entire area. The sealers which had observed the battle had to use chakra to secure themselves to the ground so they wouldn't be sent into the air. Lee panted as he lifted his hands up and caught the Tsuin-Ryu Tonfas as the Hirudora detonation subsided and he dropped to one knee.

"Hurry, that won't keep them down for long," Rock Lee ordered the sealers who immediately leaped into what remained of the forest and before Jinpachi and Fuguki could finish regenerating and were sealed.

"Lee, are you alright?!" Katsuyu asked as Lee swayed a bit before he straightened up.

"I...I will be! Gai-sensei will be overjoyed I managed to unleash Kyōmon and Hirudora!" Lee replied enthusiastically and the fire appeared in his eyes. "And I can rest after this battle is over too!"

At the same time Kakashi and Monga were pushed to the limit as they tried to battle Yagura. The Mizukage's Version 2 Cloak just _shrugged off_ everything they tried. Even the Copy Ninja's Raikiri had bounced off of it and the only damage he was able to do against it was using a kunai charged with said Raikiri to increase its penetration power. And even _then_ all it managed was a superficial damage.

"This isn't going well Kakashi-daicho..." Monga said as he panted a bit. "Its like he's just toying with us..."

"Agreed..." Kakashi said as he weighed his options. "Might have to use another Kamui again..."

Before he could continue that train of thought Yagura suddenly attacked and charged both Kakashi and Monga. The two then crossed their arms to brace themselves...and then a pink, yelling blur appeared above them. Kakashi grabbed Monga and pulled him back just as Sakura herself landed on top of Yagura.

"SHANNARO!" she yelled and smashed her fist right into the Mizukage's back with such force he crashed into the ground and his Version 2 Cloak shimmered and burst away from the point of impact. "I'm here to help Sensei!"

She jumped back and avoided the retaliation from Yagura's tails as his body regenerated from the punch. The durability of his cloak had managed to make most of the impact from Sakura's punch null though the ground had been cratered underneath him. Sakura looked at him and remembered the times Naruto himself had entered that form and she felt a dull...ache on her right arm where Naruto had swiped at her in the four-tailed form.

_No need to worry about that now..._ Sakura thought as her eyes narrowed. _I have to focus on the matter at hand..._

"_Sakura, I'm surprised you aren't quaking in your boots at this form,_" Yagura suddenly spoke...this time in Kabuto's voice. "_Has this mean, gasp, you have become a better kunoichi than the pathetic one I saw on Tenchi Bridge?_"

"...Kabuto..." Sakura said as her green eyes darkened.

"_You know what? I'll use this new found respect for you to give you your...greatest challenge yet_," Kabuto said and he laughed through Yagura's mouth. "_Yagura...time to _fully_ transform."_

"What?!" Sakura, Kakashi, and Monga yelled as there was another surge of chakra from the Mizukage.

The Version 2 cloak grew as Yagura himself began to roar and then grew to tremendous size. Rocks and other debris seemed to levitate from the expulsion of chakra as the ground started to quake. The cloak seemed to fade and was replaced with a dull blue shell and the three tails whipped behind it. The Biju appeared fully...nearly 50 meters long and 25 meters tall as the chakra from the release caused rocks to fall suddenly. Now the Sanbi stood right before Sakura and closed one of its eyes and stomped forward.

"This...this is bad," Sakura uttered as the Biju gave a loud roar and dispelled what was left of the mist from earlier.

A Kiri ninja blinked seeing the form Yagura took. "Shouldn't it be much bigger? And its color's wrong!"

"Yeah I know, is Edo Tensei limiting and changing the form?" another asked as the Sanbi opened its mouth.

"_Very astute...this isn't the true Sanbi. That is still being kept at Akatsuki headquarters...this is an experiment Orochimaru-sama and I created after gaining some of the Sanbi's chakra and cells in an attempt to capture it..._" Kabuto explained through Sanbi's mouth. "_This 'juvenile' Sanbi is one of our pinnacle accomplishments and its power is no less than its parent as you'll see._"

Black and white chakra then swirled at Sanbi's mouth before creating a solid black ball right in front of the juvenile Sanbi's jaws. Sakura, Kakashi, and Monga barely moved out of the way before the Bijudama was shot at them and tore and melted through the ground from the sheer heat and power of the projectile. The three skidded to the side and glanced back as a small mountain in the distance was hit by the Bijudama and was engulfed in a gigantic dome which ate through a mountain beside it and left a crater nearly six kilometers wide. The mountain that wasn't in its direct path crumbled after losing so much mass from the Bijudama explosion.

"Holy..." Monga whispered as the shockwave hit the battlefield from the Bijudama.

"Think about it later, we need to take this thing down first!" Kakashi ordered and Sakura was already on the move towards it.

The juvenile Sanbi then curled up in a ball and began to spin at a high rate before it launched itself at high speed at the division. Sakura jumped right in front of its path and charged chakra through her arms, hands, and feet and pushed her hands out. She caught the spinning ball which the juvenile Sanbi had turned itself into and she used all her strength and chakra control to stop it despite being pushed back a considerable distance.

She charged her fist with lightning and reared it back. "Raiton: Raiko Raido Ryu (Lightning Release: Lightning Vortex Fist)!"

The lightning swirled around her fist and smashed it right into the juvenile Sanbi's shell and it cracked and dented as the lightning was forced into its body. It gave a loud roar of pain as it jumped back and uncurled. Sakura didn't let up and charged as her new Kiba blades clanked on her belt and she smashed her fist right into the young Biju's jaw from below in an upper cut and sent a tooth flying out. In response the juvenile Sanbi smashed one tail into her back hard enough to sent her into the ground and crater it. She spat up blood before the other two tails smashed into her.

Kakashi created a clone and the two rushed forward and charged a Raikiri between them. "Raiden (Lightning Transmission)!"

They wrapped the lightning chain into one of the tail segments which had hit Sakura and pulled it away before severing it at the weak point in the joint. The juvenile Sanbi howled in pain as Monga punched a rock filled with explosive tags right into its open mouth and it swallowed it and the tags all detonated at the same time. Sakura rolled away as smoke wafted from the young Biju's mouth and she stood up and panted as the damage she received was repaired.

She wiped the blood from her jaw and cracked her knuckles. She pulled the Kiba blades out and switched her strategy as lightning charged them. Kakashi pulled out the Kubikiribocho and jumped by his student and the two communicated via hand seals. With that Kakashi charged and jumped in the air and charged a Raikiri through his blade and slashed at the still stunned juvenile Sanbi.

Its eye then looked up and blocked Kakashi's attack with its tail and sent him backwards however the Copy Ninja then shot a blast of flame right out of his mouth at the young Sanbi. He aimed right for the visible eye and hit it with the full force. The young Sanbi stumbled backwards and howled again in pain as Sakura made her move.

She skidded right below the young Sanbi and stabbed one of her Kiba blades right into its stomach and penetrated it slightly. She then reared her hand back and charged up another Raiko Raido Ryu and smashed it right onto the pommel of the blade. Like a nail the blade was forced all the way into the young Biju's body and electrocuted it internally...and the Kiba blade flew out from its back in a large exit wound.

Kakashi caught the blade while he was still in the air as the young Sanbi thrashed and roared in pain and before it could lose control of its transformation it created yet another Bijudama and fired it towards Sakura. She charged chakra to her feet and shunshined away as the blast careened through the ground and through the forest before hitting yet another small mountain and completely vaporized it. Sakura landed right at where Monga was and Kakashi regrouped with them.

"Did we do it sensei?" Sakura asked as the young Sanbi continued to thrash in pain and stumbled backwards.

"I believe so..." Kakashi said and he breathed in and out through his nose.

The young Biju fell backwards and receded back into Yagura's body. The gigantic creature shrank back into its host and left him on his back and still suffering from the damage he received from the battle. The Mizukage himself was regenerating from the damage it had took as the sealers moved in...but a coffin then smashed around Yagura and disappeared.

"Looks like Kabuto is unwilling to let that pawn go away," Monga commented as the battle continued to rage in the background.

"Then lets finish this off," Kakashi said as he swung his blade.

With that, the three charged into the mass of shinobi which were still engaging the remaining Seven Swordsmen and Kisame. There were corpses everywhere from the battles and the stronger ninja showed the wear from their recent battles with the reincarnated but were still determined to win the battle.

**Mountain's Graveyard, Kabuto's location**

Kabuto frowned, he hadn't expected Sakura to do so well against the Sanbi clone, much less defeat it with the help of Kakashi and Monga. He still had uses for it and Yagura so he had to withdraw it before it was sealed. The battle had swung against him in general with his initial Edo Tensei being sealed, or in Haku's case...wiped out of his range of control. He decided for a change of tactics.

"Time to move into the forest...engaging them in open battle at this point is unfeasible," Kabuto said as he redirected the pieces into the forest. "Strategic withdraw for a guerrilla battle for the night...I'll draw it out as long as possible."

He reached into his pack and thought of his neck move and licked his lips. He smirked and prepared a few more Edo Tensei for later...he had decided that it would be time for Akatsuki itself to take to the field. A bit earlier than expected but he did have a few places where it could be of use. Supply lines between the medical camps and divisions had been set up...ripe for ambushes. They were constantly being monitored by White Zetsus who used their Kagerō technique to avoid normal sensory detection.

He placed two on the field at one area...Kakuzu and Uchiha Itachi. It was going to be a good test run when the next convoy arrived...

_To be continued..._

**Author's Notes:**

Whew! That is done! This was a fun chapter to write since it showed off both Sakura's and Rock Lee's growth, and showed _why_ Yagura was the Yondaime Mizukage. Hope you liked what I did with Haku too, have a plan for him later now that he's independent of Kabuto's control. And also hoped you liked Sakura gaining new weaponry for herself and the plan which stopped the cloned Isobu (Sanbi).

**Konoha 11 Rankings from Strongest to Weakest (Barring Naruto and Sasuke):**

Haruno Sakura (High-Kage Level): Pretty much self explanatory at this point. She's surpassed her teacher, held her own against a Kazekage Candidate and even a Biju, managing to defeat both with help. Overall she has extremely good offensive abilities via her chakra control Taijutsu and Raiton, as well as even better support with her Remote Healing.

Hyuga Neji (Mid-Kage Level): Best Taijutsu user of his generation next to Rock Lee and overall stronger despite not being able to use as many gates as Lee. His combination mastery of Jyuken and Goken, his Byakugan mastery, and his Suiton element makes him a tough opponent to fight.

Rock Lee (Mid-Kage Level): Self explanatory given his performance. Best taijutsu user of his generation with speed second only to Naruto and Sasuke, and strength that approaches Sakura's.

Hyuga Hinata (Low-Kage Level): With her Keihatsu Byakugan, Jyuken mastery (given she can use Kaiten, Hakke Rokujuyon Sho, and Jūho Sōshiken), and her Rasengan and Rasenyari, she's become quite the fighter now.

Akimichi Choji (Low-Kage Level): He'll be gaining his canon abilities here, so he earns this place due to his Karorī Kontorōru (Calorie Control) and Akimichi technique mastery.

Aburame Shino (Low-Kage Level): With his mastery of both Kikaichu and the nano-insects, it makes him a nightmare to fight at both long AND short range. He can drain the chakra from multiple enemies and with a single tap turn them into purple mush up close.

Nara Shikamaru (Elite Jonin Level): With his mastery of the Nara Clan techniques and high intelligence, he earns this place. If he has prep, he can be ranked much higher and fight outside his weight class.

Yamanaka Ino (Elite Jonin Level): Mastery of Yamanaka Clan Telepathy and its various techniques, improved taijutsu, and extreme sensing she easily ranks here.

Inuzuka Kiba (Jonin Level): Kiba's got good mastery of his Inuzuka Clan techniques but he needs more than that. He's primarily a tracker and is a good leader (given he leads Shino and Hinata in Kurenai's absence), and despite having the third best speed of the Rookie's he just needs a bit more.

Tenten (Jonin Level): Her complete weapon mastery leaves her with way to open to futon users, but the sheer _spam_ of it which she can use it makes her valuable support for Rock Lee and Neji. Not to mention she has enough chakra to wield the Bashōsen (which we'll see in a later chapter) would give her a lot of options if she used jutsu other than that.


	22. Ambush!

Chapter 22: Ambush!

**Lower Lightning Country**

While the Third Division fought furiously in Frost Country against the Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist, several convoys of crucial supplies were being sent to each battlefront and each medical camp. There were far more wounded than had been expected so Konohagakure and Kirigakure sent a surplus up to the main medical camps. Not only that, due to several raids from White Zetsus on Lightning Coast the First Division was in crucial need of fresh munitions.

For this purpose a detachment of the First Division was deployed to help guard the convoy routes. They were lead by Hyuga Hiashi, leader of the Hyuga Clan. Before being deployed, he had talked with his eldest daughter and his nephew after his company rendezvoused with the Second Division.

"_Greetings father..." Hinata said as she stood as straight as she could to greet him and bowed respectfully._

_Hiashi smiled. "...Hinata, you don't need to do that. We're equal as shinobi now."_

"_But...you're still the leader of our Clan father..."_

"_And you're the Rokudaime Hokage's girlfriend, I think that puts us on even terms," Hiashi put his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "We've gone over this..."_

_Her cheeks flushed a bit red at that, but she nodded. "Alright..."_

"_And Neji, that goes double for you. You don't need to bow to me either," Hiashi said sternly._

"_Yes, uncle," Neji said as he rubbed the back of his head._

"_I had heard about how well you two fought in the recent battle, you've made me proud," Hiashi said with a proud smile._

_Hinata looked up and her eyes widened. "T-Thank you father!"_

"_I only have a short time before I'm deployed on the escort mission, so I need to make this quick," Hiashi said and returned to his stern demeanor. "Hinata, activate your enhanced Byakugan. I need to see it for myself."_

"_Oh, right father," Hinata said and she activated her Byakugan, and then her Keihatsu activated with the Yin-Yang symbol in each eye. She had managed to get some control down so the Eien Kaiten didn't automatically activate._

"_...so it is true, the Keihatsu Byakugan," Hiashi said and a small smirk appeared on his lips. "It hasn't been seen or awoken by any Hyuga ever since the Warring Clans era, and it was rare then. Only our leader at that time, Hyuga Koki, could use it."_

"_Then why haven't we heard of it before uncle?" Neji asked his uncle._

"_Due to its rarity, it was thought it had gone extinct through the years. Much like the Uchiha's Mangekyō__Sharingan which hadn't been seen again since Uchiha Madara's time," Hiashi explained. "The powers depend on the user, the only universal ones seem to be the Eien Kaiten and the Magen: Kagami Do..."_

"_I also awoken the Hoderi-no-Mikoto..." Hinata said as she rubbed the back of her head._

"_One of the Hyuga Guardian Deities...every Keihatsu user gets a different one though they are all roughly the same power, just with different abilities," Hiashi said as he leaned back. "If I could, I'd give you more lessons to learn to control this new power Hinata..."_

"_I understand that father," Hinata said and rubbed the back of her head. "But I will continue to train to control it!"_

"_I know," Hiashi put his hand on Hinata's head proudly. "You'll make me proud. You've made me proud for a while now."_

_Hinata's face lit up and hugged her father on impulse, and he returned it. Neji smiled at that before Hiashi surprised him and pulled him into the hug. He blinked in shock and looked up._

"_You're part of the family too Neji, branch family or no," Hiashi stated with a smile. "You're stronger than me now, stronger than our entire clan Neji. And you've surpassed me Hinata."_

"_Thank you...thank you father," Hinata said in slight awe. "I'll keep getting stronger!"_

"_You flatter me uncle," Neji said as he breathed out. "But thank you."_

_Hiashi smiled and he looked up as the rest of his battalion arrived. A full detachment from the First Division with sixty ninja of the Jonin rank were all there from the various nations in the Allied Shinobi Forces. The Hyuga Leader was the leader of the detachment too and he glanced to see the medical and supply convoy preparing to move out. The civilian contractors of the convoy looked a bit nervous but were determined to get the supplies to the front lines._

"_Alright, I have to get going now," Hiashi told his eldest daughter and his nephew. "After I'm done with this supply run, we'll talk more."_

"_Right father!" Hinata said eagerly._

"_I look forward to it, uncle," Neji said with a smile as he bowed respectfully._

Hiashi smiled at the memory but his eyes narrowed as he went about the task at hand. His white eyes scanned the horizon as the convoy made its way down the roads. They were headed down the back roads in an attempt to avoid another ambush. The plan was to constantly change mid-route to throw off the enemy via constant communication with the Alliance Headquarters. Whenever a group of White Zetsu were sensed a new route would be transmitted right to the convoy. So far they had to do it nearly four times.

_Despite the course corrections this seems a bit too easy..._ Hiashi thought as his Byakugan activated. _Are the Akatsuki anticipating this strategy?_

"Hiashi-dono, Headquarters is reporting another cluster of White Zetsu are up ahead! We're advised to move northeast up ahead to avoid them!"

"Understood," Hiashi nodded as as they changed direction right up at the fork.

While the convoy made its latest course correction, two shinobi kept a constant lookout. Being the level they were, they had erased their normal presence from the sensing abilities of headquarters and followed their prey slowly. The two original members of Akatsuki, Uchiha Itachi and Kakuzu leaped to another vantage point.

"...I assume you refilled on your hearts since the last ambush, Kakuzu," Itachi said bluntly as his Sharingan continued to follow the movements of Hiashi's convoy.

"Yes, I'm at full power Itachi," Kakuzu said as he squeezed his hand into a tight fist. "Still reluctant to do this sort of thing aren't you?"

Itachi's eyes narrowed at that. "...seems my deceptions in life weren't as thorough as I thought."

"I lived for nine decades Itachi, you put on a good act," Kakuzu said as he glanced at the Uchiha prodigy. "For a while I was fooled, but you slipped up during the Ichibi extraction. Even at 30% of your power you should have defeated the Kyubi Jinchuriki at that time. From then I just waited for our Leader to put out a hit on you so I could collect the bounty."

"I see, I can tell from the tone in your voice you're disappointed you didn't have a chance to collect."

"Not that it matters anymore," Kakuzu said as he activated his Doton: Domu (Earth Release: Earth Spear). "At least this way I can collect on other bounties. That Hyuga...that's its clan head..." the Akatsuki treasurer seemed to smirk behind his mask. "50,000,000 ryo bounty. That will do well for my coffers."

"Even in death you're still the same, Kakuzu," Itachi said with a sigh.

"Hell runs on money. I've been brought back from there, might as well put some more into my bank account," Kakuzu explained as he cracked his knuckles. "Kabuto had already promised that if I'm not sealed, I'll be able to do as I please. I'm not even bound by his contract in this way, so even if he shuts the technique off I'll be staying."

Itachi's eyes narrowed but he didn't comment. "With those communication ninja, we won't be able to approach without being detected. Nor will our Zetsu troops."

Kakuzu seemed to chuckle. "I am already working out the details. After all, next to our leader you _were_ the fastest of us Akatsuki."

"So you plan to send me in first as a distraction and eliminate the communication ninja," Itachi surmised and the Akatsuki Bounty Hunter nodded. "There is one problem with that, Hyuga Hiashi's eyes and sensing abilities will most likely detect me before I attack."

"That shouldn't be a problem. _I_ will handle the Hyuga leader, you keep the rest of his grunts busy. It shouldn't be difficult for the man who slaughtered the entire Uchiha Clan in one night, would it?" Kakuzu's eyes seemed to narrow in a mocking smirk. "After all, you do have the Mangekyo Sharingan and the same techniques Uchiha Madara had."

"...how much _did_ you learn about me, Kakuzu?" Itachi asked with a slight amount of anger. "I never even revealed my third technique of my Mangekyo to even Kisame."

"It wasn't hard to figure out. Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi were said to be the same techniques Madara had before awakening his third and most powerful jutsu, Susano'o," Kakuzu said as he crouched. "I _lived_ in the era of Madara and Hashirama, Itachi. I probably know more about the Uchiha than even you do."

"...enough talk. We have to get this done," Itachi said in resignation.

With that, the two reincarnated members of Akatsuki used a Shunshin to get into the midst of the convoy as they made another course correction. Hiashi scanned the area with his Byakugan just as Itachi created a Karasu Bushin to divide up the work. The Hyuga leader's eyes seemed to pulse as he turned.

"We have...!"

Before Hiashi could finish Itachi and his clone pulled out kunai and stabbed both communication's ninja through the neck then slashed through as blood showered onto their bodies. Time had seemed to slow down as the two communications ninja began to choke on their own blood as their comrades rushed to attack. The Uchiha prodigy spun and tossed a dozen kunai and lethally struck twelve of the defending ninja in the neck or heart.

Just as Hiashi was about to use a Hakke Kusho to at least deal with the clone his eyes warned him of an attack coming and he leaped back as a dark fist smashed into the ground and shattered it. Right before him was the Akatsuki bounty hunter, Kakuzu. He lifted his other hand and shot out his arm to grab the Hyuga Leader by the neck but Hiashi spun with a Kaiten to deflect it.

"...Uchiha Itachi and Kakuzu, two S-Class ninja and members of Akatsuki," Hiashi stated like he had a bad taste in his mouth.

"No offense, but I'll be taking your bounty now," Kakuzu said as he vanished at high speed.

Hiashi dodged the punch and the neck grab and kept moving backwards as he avoided each blow from the Akatsuki Bounty Hunter. He spun, ducked and then he charged chakra into his palm and slammed it upwards and deflected the Doton: Domu enhanced fist that was about to hit his head and then he pushed out both hands near point blank at Kakuzu's stomach.

"Hakke Kūhekishō (Eight Trigrams Air Wall Palm)!"

From point blank Hiashi unleashed a tremendously powerful air shell right at the Akatsuki member, strong enough to utterly destroy a large town or a significant portion of a small city. Kakuzu grunted as he skidded backwards, the Doton: Domu being _peeled_ from his body from the force and then he threw out his hand and his Futon heart relocated to it. It opened its mouth and then fired a Futon: Atsugai (Wind Release: Pressure Damage) and a powerful tornado-like vortex of razor wind was launched out which counteracted the Hakke Kūhekishō which propelled him backwards. Before his momentum stopped he relocated his Katon heart to his left hand and pointed at Hiashi.

"Katon: Zukokku (Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work)!" Kakuzu yelled and shot a massive firestorm from it, and he controlled the chakra input to create _blue white_ flames.

Hiashi's eyes widened. _If I deflect that with my Kaiten I'll just suck out all the oxygen in the immediate area...I need to avoid it!_

He crossed his arms and used a shunshin to avoid most of the flames but the sheer heat ignited the sleeves of his uniform. He rolled and before he could recover Kakuzu was already on him and his heavy, metallic fist smashed right into the Hyuga Leader's chin. Blood and a few teeth flew out of his mouth and he saw stars before the Akatsuki Bounty Hunter followed up with a knee to his stomach. Hiashi flew backwards before he managed to land on his feet and coughed up more blood. He panted a bit and wiped his lip.

"You definitely...live up to your reputation," Hiashi said as he managed to calm himself. "I haven't had such a fight in a long time."

"I assume that battle went more in your favor?" Kakuzu asked as he squeezed his fist. "You haven't done any lasting damage to me. I do admit that air shell attack was impressive-no one's been able to strip the Doton: Domu from me even temporarily before."

"You'll see what I can really do..." Hiashi said as he reactivated his Byakugan and glanced at Itachi and his clone which were easily decimating his battalion. _If I could just neutralize the clone the rest of my troops could...wait a second..._

From all around Hiashi then saw _hundreds_ of White Zetsu converging on their location. Without the communication's to warn them the White Zetsu army made its move. Kakuzu smirked as he saw the look on the Hyuga leader's face.

"You do realize how screwed you are, right?" Kakuzu taunted. "Even if you somehow get the better of me and Itachi, there are hundreds of Zetsu in the area. You wouldn't be in any shape to fight them. Better to just resign yourself to your fate wouldn't you say?"

In response Hiashi charged right at Kakuzu. The Akatsuki bounty hunter focused his Doton: Domu again to engage him in a taijutsu battle. While Kakuzu had far more physical strength Hiashi was slightly faster and much more skilled even in his condition. He dodged and ducked each kick and punch and then slammed his palm several times into Kakuzu's stomach and chest to push him back and each time directly injected chakra into him. Kakuzu grunted as he skidded back and he stomped forward to headbutt Hiashi who charged chakra from his entire body and then spun and unleashed a Kaiten.

Kakuzu was buffeted by the rapidly spinning chakra vortex that Hiashi had created and was sent flying backwards. He managed to land on his feet but the Hyuga Leader was right on him and had taken another stance.

"Hakke Rokujuyon Sho (Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms)," he uttered as blood dripped from his lip from the blows he had taken earlier. "Two palm!" he slammed his fingers right at Kakuzu's chakra points. "Four palm!" another barrage slammed into Kakuzu's chest. "Eight palms!" eight rapid fire pokes were unleashed right into Kakuzu's stomach. "Sixteen palms!" a barrage of sixteen blows hit Kakuzu's entire torso. "Thirty-two palms!" and then another barrage of thirty-two struck over Kakuzu's body. "Sixty-four palms!" And finally sixty-four simultaneous strikes hit Kakuzu and Hiashi finished the combo with a palm strike which sent chakra visibly bursting through his body.

Kakuzu staggered back from having endured those blows but the damage had been done. On his back...his Futon mask and his Doton mask suddenly cracked and shattered. Hiashi dropped to one knee, panting from the exertion after taking the damage from earlier on top of the combo and taijutsu fight. He focused but then the Akatsuki leader was already on him and grasped him by the neck.

"That was extremely impressive, two of my hearts at the same time. In truth the only time that happened before was with the Jinchuriki brat," Kakuzu said as he squeezed Hiashi's neck before he headbutted him with enough force to break the skin.

Hiashi panted as he felt the killing intent radiating from his opponent. With his Byakugan still active...in the distance he saw the ignition of black flames in the distance. Itachi had used Amaterasu either on the supplies or on the shinobi and civilians guarding them. Weakly Hiashi grasped Kakuzu's wrist and then sent a bolt of chakra through it. Kakuzu was forced to let go as his arm imploded from Hiashi's overload and ash and paper flew off it.

Hiashi charged chakra to his feet and used another shunshin to get into the main fray. He dodged the black flaming debris as he honed onto one of his targets. The Itachi he honed in on turned just in time to receive a palm strike in the chest. The Hyuga leader prayed it was the real Itachi...only for it to explode into crows right in front of him which all began scratching and pecking at him. He was then grabbed from behind and yanked back to Kakuzu.

"Now that was rude," Kakuzu said...his Raiton mask right in his palm and he pushed it point blank right at Hiashi's stomach. "Raiton: Gian (Lightning Release: False Darkness)."

And with that a bolt of lightning shot out of the mask right into and through Hiashi's body. The Hyuga Leader spat out blood as he was simultaneously impaled by the bolt and electrocuted. His body numbed and went limp. Kakuzu tossed him to the ground as the real Itachi appeared next to him with the White Zetsu's appearing from everywhere to finish off what little survivors of the rampage that were left.

"It looks like he gave you a bit of trouble," Itachi commented. "After all, he was able to destroy the clone I had created."

Hiashi felt his life fading but he couldn't die just yet. Weakly he reached up and gathered some of his own blood and he breathed in and out and drew a summoning seal on the ground, and then he drew another intricate fuinjutsu. His hand trembled as his vision started to cloud but he managed to focus what little chakra he had left into his hand and tapped both blood seals that he created before he lost all strength.

_There...that is...done..._ Hiashi thought as the seals glowed. _Hizashi...my beloved Hana...I'm...finally joining you..._ His eyes began to close slowly. _Hinata...I should have been a much better father to you...I should have encouraged you...you've made me...just so proud..._ his breath began to slow as he felt cold extend through his body. _Hanabi...you have so much promise...I'm just sorry I will never get to see it..._ Hiashi's heart stopped and he began to drift. _And...Neji...I should have taken you in right after my brother's death...I could have quelled that anger of yours...a lot sooner than I did...but I'm...glad...you...moved...past...it..._

And the life of Hyuga Hiashi fully ended there. Kakuzu reached down and felt his pulse and he smirked before lifting the Hyuga Leader's body up. Itachi frowned darkly as his comrade started to hum a bit, already thinking of the massive bounty that he was about to collect. With that the pair went their separate ways temporarily and the White Zetsu began their attack on the remaining members of the battalion and convoy with screams echoing through the area.

**Allied Shinobi Headquarters, Kumogakure**

Shikaku slammed his fist into the desk after he had watched on the sensor sphere what had just transpired. The ambush by two of the higher level Akatsuki members, Uchiha Itachi and Kakuzu had went off before any warning could be sounded. A had similar thoughts and he had smashed his desk so hard it shattered.

"Damn it, with the Hyuga Leader I thought we'd have a shinobi strong enough to guard those convoys!"

"...as strong as Hiashi-dono was, he wasn't an S-Rank ninja. He could have handled any White Zetsu that tried attacking but Itachi and Kakuzu are opponents beyond him," Shikaku said with a sigh. "True, he could have been called 'Kage-class' in life, but it'd be...a low one."

"If this keeps up I'll just have to guard the convoys then," A said with a snarl. "And I'd crush both of these idiots before they even knew what was coming!"

"...we have a more immediate concern now, Raikage-sama," Shikaku said calmly as he looked at the map and the sensor sphere. "The First Division _needed_ those supplies."

"...I know. How much did Darui report they had lost in those last series of skirmishes and ambushes from the White Zetsu's?"

"More than they could afford to lose, that's for sure," Shikaku said as he mentally listed off everything. _Nearly 5000 kunai and shuriken either shattered or broken in combat, over a thousand blades of all types rendered unusable, medical supplies dwindling from the repeated ambushes and skirmishes..._

"We may have a bigger problem," Ao said from the sensor station. "I'm detecting a massive force moving across the ocean towards the First Division...

With that the sensor sphere swiveled to show the sea between Mountain's Graveyard and the Lightning Coast where the First Division was stationed. There were...tens of thousands of dots that appeared in perfect formation with some that had _huge_ chakra levels. They were still too far away to determine what exactly they were however, but it was...

"...so far I've counted _30,000_ White Zetsu total in that formation. It outnumbers the First Division nearly two to one," Ao said and a feeling of dread seemed to permeate through the room. "What's more, those gigantic chakra levels...the next battle will be extremely difficult."

A nodded and he stood up. "They are going to need as much help as they can. I'll head to back the First Division up personally."

"...as much as I don't like it, that would be the best bet," Shikaku said as he breathed out. "What about other locations? Has there been any change?"

"Gaara's Fourth Division has detected no activity at this time, they are still holding a defensive position," Ao reported. "Kakashi's Third Division is still engaged with the remaining Seven Swordsmen, despite being outnumbered the Swordsmen are being difficult to neutralize using guerrilla tactics. Kitsuchi's Second Division is holding steady and sending out patrols to deal with any White Zetsu that tries to enter their space. Mifune's Fifth Division has experienced little combat and has stretched itself in a holding pattern across Lightning, Frost, and Hotspring."

Shikaku began to rub the bridge of his nose. "I need to rethink the strategy then..."

**Second Division, Land of Frost**

There were several dozen sorties out around the Land of Frost now that were engaging the White Zetsus that had tried to infiltrate. Four to five man teams of the Second Division were sent out to either track or ambush their elusive enemy. In a very, heavily forested area Team Kurenai as well as Neji and Karui were engaged in battle with the White Zetsus.

Karui jumped and slashed as she charged electricity into her katana. "Kumo-Ryū Omotegiri (Cloud-Style Front Beheading)!"

And she slashed off a White Zetsu's head and it flew off into the air. Neji, now in a fresh uniform sidestepped each slash from the White Zetsu's swords that he was fighting with and his Byakugan warned him of an attack from behind. He ducked, slammed his palm once onto the White Zetsu's head that was attacking from behind before he kicked the other two into each other.

Kiba, now recovered from the injuries he had received in the first battle fought alongside Akamaru. He charged while on all fours and lengthened his fingernails into claws and he slashed into the White Zetsu's wooden armor and kicked them away as Akamaru caught one by the neck and immediately performed a Tsuga to tear it apart. They landed next to each other and Kiba smirked and flexed his hands for the next round.

Shino was idly commanding his swarm to attack the White Zetsu from a distance. Whenever one had gotten close, he tapped it and injected his nano-insects to eat it from the inside out. There were several piles of mush around him as his Kikai swarm attacked from above.

Hinata herself ducked and dodged wooden sword slashes from the White Zetsu's she was fighting and created a Rasengan in her right hand and a Rasenyari in her right. She spun and withdrew a finger to make the 'drill' around her forearm larger, sharper, and more penetrative. Hinata had learned to do this during a previous skirmish when a White Zetsu had merged and hidden itself in a rock formation. When Hinata withdrew more fingers, her Rasenyari became stronger and she used that to her advantage.

Wordlessly she and Neji jumped to cover each other's backs as the final group of Zetsu's appeared from the ground. Kiba jumped over them and dropped several blinding smoke bombs and both Hyuga jumped into the smoke. Hinata slammed her Rasengan into one of the Zetsus which sent it crashing into three more as Neji launched several Hakke Kusho blasts. After that assault, the few surviving Zetsus cut their losses and fled underground.

Kiba jumped. "We have them on the run! Damn, we kicked _so _much ass today guys!"

"Indeed, but this is just a skirmish and we caught them off guard," Shino said stoically as he pushed his glasses up.

"Still, feels good to see those white bastards running," Karui asserted as she cleaned her sword off and sheathed it on her back.

Neji was about to say something when he felt a burning sensation on his head. He stumbled back. "Damn it...what's going on with my seal...?!" He pulled off his headband and put his hand to his head after he removed the bandage from his forehead. Hinata's eyes widened.

"Neji-nii-san..." Hinata started as she pointed. "Your Hyūga Sōke no Juinjutsu (Hyuga Main Family Cursed Seal) is...is gone!"

Neji blinked rapidly as he went to find something to look at himself. Just as he was about to leave there was a puff of smoke at Hinata's feet and in its place was a scroll with her father's seal on it. Confused, she knelt down and lifted it up.

_Dear Hinata,_

_...if you are reading this, that means I have passed on. I have made my preparations before this War has even started. I need you, Hanabi, and Neji to be strong for me since I won't be around for any longer..._

_I know this will be difficult, but...as of now Hinata, you are the 50th Generation Head of the Hyuga Clan. I know you will make me proud. The Hyuga Clan will emerge from this War with you leading it and it'll be stronger for it. Your kind heart, which I had...written off when you were younger is your biggest strength and it'll aid the entire Clan._

_And as of now, Branch and Main family has no distinction. With my last act, I performed a jutsu which would remove the seals from Neji and our brothers and sisters of the Branch family will be freed from the curse which limited us. We are all one Clan now and are truly united..._

_I was hoping to see you more Hinata...was hoping to see more of your growth. I was hoping to see you get married...play with my grandchildren...but that is not to be. I will be watching over you...I love you Hinata. I know I don't say that enough, but I want you to know that._

_Your beloved and proud father,_

_Hyuga Hiashi_

Hinata looked up from the last letter Hiashi had sent her and tears were in her eyes. She felt her knees quake and she dropped to the ground as her teammates ran over. Hinata slowly began sobbing as she squeezed her hands into tight fists around the letter.

"Hinata! What...what's wrong?!" Kiba asked as he went to help her up.

"F-Father...he's gone...he's been killed," Hinata whispered as she gently put the scroll down. She breathed in and out a few times as she read her father's last letter again and again.

Shino put his hand on her shoulder as Hinata sobbed a few times, her vision blurred while the tears flooded her eyes. Hinata spent several moments sobbing and crying, near inconsolable by her teammates. She smashed the ground a few times with her fist until it began to get bloody and Hinata looked upwards.

Hinata then closed closed her eyes tightly and gritted her teeth a bit as she forced herself to stand up. She deliberately read the scroll once again and memorized its every word. Hinata rolled her father's scroll and attached a string around it before she slipped it right into her pack. She spent a few moments and collected herself as she wiped her eyes.

"I...I can grieve later," Hinata said as she breathed in slowly. "We still have a mission to complete."

"Are you sure Hinata?" Kiba asked. "We can..."

"I'm sure," Hinata cut him off as she reactivated her Byakugan. She closed her eyes and breathed out. "...please Kiba-kun, Shino-kun, Neji-nii-san...we still need to finish. It'll help...clear my head."

"If you are sure, Hinata, lets move out," Shino said and he glanced at Neji. "And are you fine?"

"Yes...like Hinata-sama, I'll be fine in time," Neji said as he wrapped his headband around his forehead again. "Lets move out."

Shino, Kiba, and Karui nodded and they all leaped into the trees and headed towards their next location. Neji and Hinata were silent throughout the journey as they absorbed the information that Hiashi had died...the Branch Family had been abolished with the seal, and that Hinata was now the new Leader of the entire Hyuga Clan.

**Konohagakure, Hyuga Clan Compound**

While the War raged in the North against Akatsuki, in Konoha the rebuilding from Pain's gigantic Shinra Tensei was still in progress. At the Hyuga Compound which had been fully repaired in the wake of the Invasion had called an Emergency Meeting. The message that Hiashi had died, and abolished and destroyed the Clan's Juinjutsu had been just received. The young Hyuga Hanabi, only 12 years old now, was attending the meeting in her father's and sister's place. She had...been extremely shocked and saddened at her father's death in the War. Her cheeks were still stained with the tears of when she had found out.

"...as you have all found out," the head elder said as he addressed the council. "Hyuga Hiashi has passed and named Hyuga Hinata as the new Leader of our Clan. He also abolished our long established Main and Branch family system with the elimination of the Juinjutsu..."

"Is he mad?! What is Akatsuki wants the Byakugan during this war, there will be no assurance that our eyes will not fall into enemy hands!"

"We should immediately recall our people from the front lines so we can reapply the Seal to the Branch Family members!"

"Are you insane, we're in the middle of a War right now and we can't do that!"

"Another matter, Hinata-sama, despite her growth is still unable to lead us," another elder pointed out while he smoked a pipe. "Either Neji-if Hiashi-sama was planning on doing this, or Hanabi should have been named the leader given their superior ability."

Hanabi's eyes narrowed and she frowned. _Onee-sama is stronger than you know you old fart! And its time to move forward, father made his decision!_

"Right now, that isn't possible," the lead Elder said as he folded his hands. "With this War, it'd be impossible to bring our Clan Members back without looking bad to the rest of the Ninja World. For now, we'll...abide by Hiashi-sama's wishes."

"But sir!"

"Enough. This will be an evaluation of the changes that Hiashi-sama made. If they prove beneficial we'll keep them," he leaned forward. "If not, we'll begin making _our_ changes."

All the Elders in the room nodded in agreement and Hanabi's eyes narrowed. The Council was dismissed and the youngest Hyuga Sister ran out as a few Elders began to confer amongst themselves.

**Land of Lightning, Lightning Coast**

The First Division was now gathered on the Lightning Coast and had built several fortifications to help stop incoming invasions. Black metal spikes had been constructed and the cliffs themselves had been remodeled into several walled tiers that had thousands of shinobi patrolling them. Darui leaned back and saw the waves crash against the beach where the black spikes extended into. Despite the shortages of supplies Darui wanted to be ready fully for the oncoming assault. He glanced back as what looked like a lightning bolt appeared and the Yondaime Raikage appeared and practically cratered the ground around him.

"Hey boss," Darui said with a wave. "We're just finishing our preparations. Even with the shortages we'll give a hell of a fight to Akatsuki when they come."

"There's no doubt you won't," A said as he rose from his crouching position. "The defenses look pretty solid."

"We're fully prepared to withstand and repel any assault, boss," Darui said as he walked with A to inspect the defenses. "And our people are ready."

A nodded and looked down the encampments to see the various shinobi of all Five Nations. Some were playing cards while they waited for their shifts, others were training in various jutsu styles, and some were just vigilantly watching over the sea. A bit further away, Tenko talked with Tenten and Akimichi Choza, the white haired Sage cracked a joke to keep their spirits up.

"...hard to keep laughing when supplies are so low," Tenten muttered as she checked her primary weapons scroll.

"Oh come on Tenten-san, don't you have more than enough in those scrolls?" Tenko asked and her eyes bugged out.

"A weapon specialist can never have enough!" Tenten yelled and shook him comically.

"Oookaaaay okay I get it!" Tenko insisted as he waved his arms around.

"Its alright Tenten-san, a good bit of humor is good before an upcoming battle, it cuts the tension," Choza said with a grin as he slammed the pommel of his staff onto the ground in emphasis.

"You're a veteran of the Third Shinobi World War, right Choza-sama?" Tenten asked as she dropped Tenko who was still dizzy at being shook so violently.

"Yes, my generation of Ino-Shika-Cho made its name during the Third Shinobi World War," Choza said as he looked over the sea. "We fought countless battles together against Iwagakure, each time getting by by the skin of our teeth. The most memorable battles were when we fought alongside Namikaze Minato, the Yellow Flash!"

"Isn't that the Yondaime Hokage?" Tenko asked and he rubbed his chin. "Not to mention Naruto's dad?"

"Yes, but for years I couldn't even tell on the latter," Choza said as he rubbed his cheek. "Minato was the strongest shinobi of all Five Nations, he repelled untold assaults from Iwagakure and even fought the Yondaime Raikage and Killer Bee-san several times over with the advantage every time."

"Wow," Tenko said with a grin.

"His legacy lives on in Naruto, not to mention his wife Kushina's," Choza said with a laugh. "I still remember the beatings she handed out to bullies back when we were all kids!"

Before Tenko and Tenten could ask more questions Darui and A had arrived at their location. All three of them immediately straightened up and stood at attention. The Raikage gave a nod to let them go at ease before he focused on Tenko himself.

"...rumor has it you're Jiraiya-sama's and Tsunade's son, is that true?" A asked him as he looked at the red lines under Tenko's eyes.

"Yes, that's true Raikage-sama!" Tenko replied and the huge Raikage nodded.

"Given that pedigree, I expect great things from you," A said and he patted the young Sage's shoulder.

"I won't let you down, Raikage-sama!"

"Good, good," A said as he glanced at the sea.

Before they could talk further an alert whistle was then sounded and several alarms went off to scramble the Division into battle readiness. Approximately ten kilometers from the coast, the Akatsuki force had appeared...nearly 30,000 White Zetsus. On top of dozens of high level Edo Tensei shinobi, including two with Kurama's chakra in their own, and...one with Gyuki's.

A immediately powered up, his Raiton no Yoroi flared around his body. "You heard the alerts, everyone to battle positions!"

"Yes Raikage-sama!" Tenten, Tenko, and Choza said before they leaped away.

The entire Division entered battle position and unsheathed swords from their backs and hips, pulled out kunai or other knives, or readied a volley of shuriken and Fuma Shuriken. The Medical Camps behind the front prepared for casualties as several shinobi used the Kage Bushin no Jutsu to increase their numbers. Darui took position next to A and glanced at the Raikage.

And then nearly five hundred meters from the coast the first White Zetsus poked through the waves with their Edo Tensei shinobi. The Battle of Lightning Coast will soon be joined!

_To be continued..._

**Author's Notes:**

Phew, first chapter done on the newest computer I've gotten. Now this chapter had two objectives: Hiashi's death and the set up for the next big battle arc. I hoped you enjoyed both. Hiashi I see as a changed father and person from what we saw from Part I when he was a bit of an ass, and Naruto is the reason of his change due to beating Neji in the Chunin Exams. Hope I made his death more meaningful by taking away the Cursed Seals from the Branch Members and abolishing the system so Hinata can lead it anew. Now I know this chapter is a bit shorter, but the next one will be a bit longer and even more action packed!


End file.
